The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities(SSANU) at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta(FUNAAB) has issued a scathing condemnation of what it described as a “bestial and devilish” act by the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), who reportedly ordered the arrest and detention of SSANU leaders at the institution.
In a strongly worded press statement released today, SSANU FUNAAB Chairman, Comrade Olugbenga Alayode, labeled the incident as “antithetical” to the values of any progressive organization, urging that such actions be “abhorred, condemned, and eschewed in their entirety.”
The detained leaders—Comrades Faleye Benjamin, Aluko Ayomikun, Ademola Mutiu, Oyelude Yekeen, and Nwokeke Barnabas—were released following rapid interventions from key figures including Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, SSANU National President, Comrade Muhammed Haruna Ibrahim, and National Vice-President(West), Comrade Dr Abdusobor Olayiwola Salaam.
The statement noted that “This intervention had only ameliorated what could have led to total industrial disharmony in Ekiti State,” praising the swift actions for averting a broader crisis in the region’s academic community.
The FUNAAB branch’s outcry comes amid ongoing tensions at FUOYE, where disputes over leadership and governance have simmered for months. The press release specifically called for a “conclusive decision on the lingering issues surrounding the person of Prof. Abayomi Fashina as the Vice Chancellor,” arguing that resolving these matters is essential to restoring lasting peace on campus.
SSANU-FUNAAB also appealed directly to the Honourable Minister of Education to intervene decisively, ensuring that “such incidents never repeat themselves anywhere within the Nigerian University system again.”
The statement concluded on a note of unwavering solidarity with the FUOYE comrades, invoking the labor movement’s rallying cry: “Injury to One is Injury to All. Aluta Continua, Victoria Ascerta.”
