NANS Gives Ondo Govt 72-Hour Ultimatum To Free Detained Student Activists

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has given a 72-hour ultimatum to the Ondo state government, to release the detained  student activists allegedly imprisoned through the office of the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Kayode Ajulo.

The Association demanded the release of Blessing Akeju and others detained at the Olokuta Correctional Facility.

Speaking via a statement by its President, Olushola Oladoja, the student body accused Ajulo of trying to silence student voices and urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene in the situation.

Reaffirming its commitment to defending student rights, NANS warned that failure to meet the demands within the stipulated timeframe would trigger a nationwide mass action, starting with a protest tagged #OccupyOndoGovernmentHouse.

The statement reads in part, “This is not a threat, but a declaration of intent, backed by the collective will of Nigerian students. We will not fold our arms while our comrades are persecuted for advocating better governance. An injury to one is an injury to all.

“The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), under the Presidency of Comrade Olushola Oladoja, express deep shock and strong condemnation over the recent oppressive actions by the Ondo State Attorney General, Barr. Kayode Ajulo, particularly in the arbitrary incarceration of Comrade Blessing Akeju and other young Nigerians who have now been unjustly remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Facility.

“Barr. Kayode Ajulo, a man who has for years branded himself as a progressive legal practitioner, rights advocate, and voice of the voiceless, should never under any guise be found using state machinery to stiffen civil liberties or trample on the rights of young people, activists, and comrades who have committed no crime other than speaking truth to power and expressing concerns over developments in the state.

“His background as a supposed defender of democratic principles and justice makes this action a descent into authoritarianism, not only hypocritical but utterly disgraceful. It is a shame that he is identified as a perpetrator of this dastardly act of oppression.

“Moreover, we find it disturbing that rather than uphold the rule of law and protect the liberties of citizens, the Attorney General is weaponizing his office to persecute voices of dissent and student leaders. This action is unacceptable, condemnable, and is a dangerous trend that threatens civil liberties and freedom of expression in Ondo State and Nigeria at large.”