The Nation Newspaper

Tag: AAUA students

  • Suspicious

    Suspicious

    Death of prime suspect of AAUA students’ murder in police custody smells

    There is suspicion over the recent death in police custody of a prime suspect of alleged kidnapping and murder of two students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State. Students in the state have thus challenged the police and other authorities to unravel the circumstance of the suspect’s death towards ensuring justice for their slain colleagues.

    The two AAUA students, Andre Okah of the Department of History and International Studies and John Abba of the Department of Economics, were said to be friends and were both in 200 level in their respective courses before their disappearance from campus. Reports said after they had been missing for about three weeks, their colleagues reported the matter to the police, upon which the Ondo State Police Command launched an investigation that led to the arrest of a fellow named Femi Oladele and two other suspects.

    Oladele, a popular landlord in Akungba, had Abba as his tenant and was suspected of having masterminded his abduction along with his friend, Andre Okah, who were robbed before they were murdered. Okah, a female student, was also allegedly raped.

    The police said during interrogation, one of the suspects confessed that the victims had been killed and their bodies dumped at different locations in Ekiti State. Okah’s body was subsequently recovered by the police and deposited in a morgue, while efforts are under way to recover Abba’s remains.

    Late last week, the police public relations officer of the command, Olayinka Ayanlade, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the suspect was taken to the hospital after he fell ill, but he died at the hospital. According to him, Oladele had been in and out of hospital for treatment before he died on Friday. “Yes, he’s dead. Following his arrest, the suspect had been in and out of hospital under close medical supervision and was receiving adequate care before he died in the early hours (Friday). As of now, the decomposing remains of Okah have been recovered while efforts are ongoing to locate Abba’s body,” he said.

    Detectives from the command had earlier arrested other suspects, namely Ojo Michael, one of the suspected abductors, and Abdul Mubarak, who bought the iPhone 14 Pro Max that belonged to one of the victims. The command spokesman said two other suspects, identified as Kola and Michael, who allegedly withdrew N800,000 from the late Abba’s account, had been arrested and were in custody, fully cooperating with investigation.

    “So, we are asking members of the public to disregard any distorted narratives seeking to divert attention from the facts, and the command can assure that justice will be fully pursued and all those involved will be made to face the full weight of the law,” Ayanlade added.

    But students raised queries over the reported death of the prime suspect in police custody. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) described the death as suspicious and called for thorough and transparent probe. In a statement by the Chairman of NANS Joint Campus Council (JCC), Ondo State, Adekanye Adeboye, the student body clarified that its aim was not to apportion blame but to ensure justice and accountability, as part of its duty to protect the rights and interests of Nigerian students.

    Read Also: NAFDAC confiscates 88,560 litres of bomb making acids in Kano

    “Every life matters,” Adeboye said, urging the police command to carry out a professional and transparent investigation that will uncover the exact circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death. “We ask this, not out of distrust but out of a strong desire to ensure that due process is followed and that justice – true and unquestionable – is delivered, not just to the deceased AAUA students but also to the public that seeks closure,” he further stated inter alia.

    On its part, the AAUA Students Union Government (SUG) doubted the death of Oladele and issued the police an ultimatum to produce his body. In a statement, SUG President Salami Akeem, General Secretary Bakare Abiodun and Public Relations Officer Ajidagba Mosadoluwa said the sudden death of the suspect in police custody buttressed the need for transparency and accountability by the police.

    “In light of this, the students union is demanding that the Nigeria Police immediately produce the body of the deceased suspect… The students union further insists on a transparent, fair and timely investigation into the killings. We believe that justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done. This is the least owed to the grieving families, the AAUA community and the general public,” they noted.

    We add our voice to the call for a transparent and professional probe of Oladele’s death. While it is not out of the ordinary for the suspect to have fatally taken ill in custody, the death is nonetheless suspicious and calls for every measure necessary to prove it actually and naturally occurred.

    But even that should not foreclose justice for the slain AAUA students since there are other suspects arrested in connection with their murder, and who supposedly could answer for what happened. The hapless AAUA duo must not die in vain.  

  • AAUA students: how we cope with high cost of food, others

    AAUA students: how we cope with high cost of food, others

    Every semester in Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko(AAUA), Ondo State, there is a sharp increase in the prices of essential commodities. Food items rise significantly when students resume, leaving them grappling with a higher cost of living. Students have cried out, calling for intervention. ENIOLA AKINWUMI-NIYI (AAUA) reports.

    “Whenever we resume, the cost of foodstuff skyrockets, making it difficult for students to maintain their budgets. It is almost like the traders are waiting for us to return to inflate prices.”

    The above were the words of Oluwapelumi Adeoye, a student at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, AAUA, Ondo State, who shared her experience about the recurring price hikes when students resume for academic sessions in Akungba, the host community of AAUA.

    According to her, these hikes are affecting students’ daily lives, especially for those whose budgets are tight, including academic expenses, transportation, and other daily necessities.

    Adeoye called for intervention of stakeholders to solve the unfair hike in market prices for students in the community. “I believe the root of the problem lies in the economy. If the government can stabilise the cost of goods and transportation, some traders won’t have to increase prices, and life will become easier for everyone,” she said.

    Similarly, Aladejana Rasheed, a recent graduate of Mass Communication at AAUA, confirmed the recurring nature of the increase in commodity prices when students resume school.

    “The hike in prices is not new to us. That’s why most students bring foodstuff  from home at the start of the semester to avoid buying foodstuffs in Akungba during the early days of resumption.

    “The cost of living in Akungba during resumption is unbearable for many students. Sometimes we bring food from home to save money for other needs like transportation and academic expenses.

     “Many students try to avoid buying in bulk during the first few weeks because traders raise prices to recover losses from the holiday period. The harsh economy is affecting everyone, but students are often at the receiving end,” he said.

    He said some traders are not entirely to blame as the harsh economy has forced them to increase prices. He advised that the government should address the economic hardship and reduce the cost of goods to make life easier for both students and traders.

    Another student, Ogunmilade Oluwanifemi said: “Prices are usually cheaper during holidays, especially for items like tomatoes and pepper. Although some commodities remain expensive, they are more affordable.

    “I don’t blame the traders. They’re trying to survive too, but overcharging people is not right, and the economy is harsh, the government’s failure to resolve.”

    Every semester in Akungba witnesses a peculiar trend: a sharp increase in the prices of essential commodities. Items like tomatoes, onions, eggs, fish and other food items rise significantly when students resume, leaving them grappling with higher living costs, and traders struggle to balance profit and survival in a challenging economy.

    To better understand the dynamics behind this recurring issue, Akungba traders also shared their experiences, painting a picture of the interplay between supply, demand, and the broader economic challenges in Nigeria.

    No students, no sales

    A food and snacks vendor at AAUA, Mr Bashiru Matthew, said most traders in Akungba increase the price of commodities because they hardly make sales when students are on vacation. “We depend on the students for our livelihood,” he said.

    He lamented that the rising cost of goods forces traders to increase prices for students. “Only the government can solve this problem because they created it. If things get better, traders will stop extorting students, and prices will reduce,” he added.

    For Mrs Dunni Ogunlana, a tomato and pepper seller, students’ holiday leads to low sales and a battle for  survival.

    Read Also: AAUA student makes Global Impact Awards final in U.S

    “Things are expensive now, and we (traders) must make a profit from what we buy. During the holidays, we had fewer customers, mostly Akungba people wouldn’t pay high prices. But some students buy without bargaining, so we increase prices.

    “We (traders) don’t wish to exploit students, but we also need to survive. The only solution is to plead with the government to make things easier for everyone,” she said.

    A fish seller at Ibaka market in Akungba, Mrs Owolade Rebecca,  said: “Some time ago, I bought a carton of fish for N40,000, and later the price increased to over N60,000. How do we make a profit without increasing the selling price?”

    Owolade described sales as a struggle for survival, stressing that both sellers and buyers are affected.

    “The rising cost of fish, for example, is affecting both sellers and buyers. Students complain, but they don’t understand that we are also trying to cope with the economy. It’s not easy to make ends meet with prices changing every day.

    “This situation is out of our control. If the government reduces the cost of transportation and addresses the rising prices of goods, everything will stabilise. We are all victims of this harsh economy,” she said.

    Another raw food seller, Mrs Iyanu Abiodun, emphasised that students are not the cause of the price hike, but the government and the removal of the fuel subsidy, which has led to an increase in the cost of living, including transportation.

    “We only increase prices when students resume to recover losses from the holidays,” she said.

    As far as Mr Uche Ugona, a provision store owner is concerned, adding extra money to the price of goods was not intentional; it is an attempt to meet the market reality.

    “We only sell what we buy from the market, and the prices are determined by what we pay to restock. For example, items like vegetable oil, sugar, and beverages have doubled in price due to high transportation costs and market inflation. It’s difficult for both us and the students, but we can’t run at a loss,” Ugona noted.

    An onion seller, Shamsiddin Shehu, added that when students are on holiday, they (sellers) hardly make sales.

    “But when students resume, we sell out and even travel to restock. Students often buy without bargaining, so we increase prices to survive. However, this isn’t favourable to anyone, and only the government can fix it,” he said.

    Akungba market head reacts

    The market head (Iyaloja) of Akungba-Akoko, Chief (Mrs) Comfort Omoyemi, in an interview, emphasised that the marketers may not be blamed because they hardly make sales when the students are not around.

    “Once  students resume,  even people from neighbouring villages such as Ikare, Arigidi, Oba-Akoko and others come to Akungba to sell their goods, leading to the hike in the price of things because everyone is trying to make the sales they weren’t able to make during the holiday,” she said.

    When asked about the measures put in place to ensure that traders do not overcharge students, Omoyemi said she has pleaded with the market women to reduce the cost of goods to make them affordable to students.

     AAUA Students’ Union intervenes

    AAUA Students’ Union President, Comr. Akeem Salami, said that the union has also noticed the surge in the cost of commodities when students resumed.

    He assured that the students’ union, through actions and pleas to local authorities, is working to address and reverse these hikes to ensure that commodities are affordable to students.

    “The plan is to initiate a meeting that will comprise the AAUA Students’ Union body, the Students’ Affairs Division, and the Police Force. Through this, we would be able to address the hike in the cost of goods. If need be, we would ensure they (traders) are aware that students are their major source of patronage,” he said.