The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 30 students of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) and Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta (FUNAAB), as well as those of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU).
The anti-graft agency arrested the students, on Wednesday, after storming the Ibogun campus of the OOU in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State to arrest some students of the school.
A student of OOU, Samson Adeyemi, who is also the students’ spokesperson, claimed the EFCC agents took away 18 students from the Ibogun campus.
According to him, the EFCC agents arrived at some students’ hostels around 12am on Tuesday and broke in through the windows and the doors before making arrests.
It was learnt that operatives raided student apartments, claiming that they were Internet fraudsters. Some cars, laptops and phones were taken away.
It was also learnt that they carried out the operations in Safari, Abule-Ojere, Gbokoniyi, Kemta and Alabata, all in Abeokuta, reportedly dominated by MAPOLY and FUNAAB students.
An eyewitness, who recorded a 25-second video of the raid on a building in Abule-Ojere, said the operatives carted away a car, laptops, but could not get the suspected Internet fraudsters living in those apartments.
A student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was accosted on his way home by EFCC officials, but was later released after they searched him and could not find any incriminating material on him.
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A 50-second video from one of the victims whose apartment was allegedly raided by the EFCC was also obtained.
In the video, the victim believed to be a student of MAPOLY lamented that he was not a fraudster, but his apartment was raided.
The victim claimed that the operatives broke into his room through the windows and ransacked his apartment.
Another video where a vehicle carrying the EFCC operatives was moving around Abeokuta, was also obtained.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Student Union, Johnson Idowu, said the school had not received any report of arrest of MAPOLY students by the EFCC.
He said, “We learnt that the EFCC came to Abeokuta, but there was no pictorial evidence to prove that.
“We have not received any report that our students are among those arrested.”
However, spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the operations.”
Uwujaren said that they arrested about 30 people over alleged Advance Free Fraud.
He said, “Yes, our people are there for an operation and made some arrests.
“At the moment, they are screening them and once they finish the screening, those who are not linked to the crime will be allowed to go home while we will continue with further investigation.”
When asked of the whereabouts of the students, he said, “I don’t think that is an issue. They are safe. About 30 people are involved.”
