By Damian Duruiheoma, Owerri
The nine students, who were expelled by the management of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo state, in 2017 for leading a protest against the arbitrary increase in fees in the school, have described the death of the president of the Civil Liberty Organization, Wisdom Durueke, as a great loss to humanity.
The activist student leaders said that the death of Durueke, who offered them free legal services as they challenged their expulsion at Federal High Court, Owerri, until they were reinstated two years after, was a big blow to a fight for a better society.
The students popularly known as the FUTO-nine, said that without the free legal services offered to them by renowned activist lawyer, they wouldn’t have been graduates today.
The students, Ogbenna Collins, Onuoha Elvis, Odunze Ebuka, Kenneth Megwa, Okey Ugwu, Mmadu Nnmadi, Ihuka Victor, Chike Fred, Ekegbu Naomi, Obieze Fortune and Charles Nzube, said that Durueke died at a time humanity needed him the most.
They said, “We were very saddened to hear of the death of Bar. Wisdom Uche Durueke Please accept our sincerest sympathy on this terrible loss. We will always remember Bar.Durueke for his wonderful sense of humor every time we were together either at the office or in court.He would repeatedly refer to us as the true definition of what youths should be in our generation.
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“We acknowledge his free legal assistance through UCHE WISDOM DURUEKE Chambers in the matter between FUTO9 Activists as Plaintiffs and Federal University of Technology, Owerri as Defendants.
“In the said matter, Daddy as we fondly called him gave his best to win the case on our behalf. Daddy so much believed in freedom of expression as the greatest gift to man and also in us as true leaders of today.
“He never asked for a dime from us throughout the legal battle, but was always meeting with critical stakeholders towards resolving the matter amicably paving way for our graduation and convocation by same institution in 2019.
“Mrs. Durueke, we sincerely admire how competent you were in providing excellent care for our daddy as his health declined. God will continue to strengthen the family he left behind and comfort you in comfortless situations.
“May the soul of our Daddy, legal icon and Human Rights Defender continue to find rest in the bossom of the Lord.”
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