JUST IN: EFCC Frees 59 OAU Students, Detains 10
The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has confirmed the release of 59 students detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday.
However, ten of the detainees were not released because they have strong cases to answer over alleged offences.
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The school’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju, confirmed the development to THE WHISTLER on Wednesday night.
“We are on our way back to Ile-Ife from Ibadan,” he said. “They have released the students to us but they are still detaining 10 of them on the grounds that they have strong cases to answer. We will release the details tomorrow. Thanks.”
Earlier, the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC said its operatives arrested 69 persons suspected to be internet fraudsters in Ile-Ife, Osun.
EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, disclosed in a statement that the suspects were arrested earlier on Wednesday at Oduduwa Estate area of Ile-Ife.
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He said their arrest followed “actionable intelligence on their suspected involvement in fraudulent internet-related activities”.
Oyewale added that credible intelligence linked the Oduduwa Estate with activities of suspected internet fraudsters.
He listed the items recovered from the suspects to include exotic cars, 190 mobile phones and 40 laptops, among others.
“The suspects have made useful statements to the EFCC and will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded,” he said.
The OAU students were said to have been arrested during a midnight raid on off-campus hostels located at the Oduduwa Estate in Ile-Ife in the early hours of Wednesday.
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The development led to a large group of the university’s students storming the Ibadan Zonal Command office to protest the arrest of their colleagues by the agency’s operatives.
The students, who arrived at the EFCC office in six buses, demanded the release of their arrested colleagues.
They were led by some leaders of the institution’s Students Union Government (SUG).
