The management of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB) in Ogun State, has expelled one of its students over a Facebook post drawing the attention of the public to the alleged indiscriminate arrest of his colleagues by the police and incessant robbery attacks on campus.
The student, Ifemosu Adewale, in his second year at the Department of Forestry and Wild-life Management, was issued his expulsion letter on Friday.
Before the Facebook post that led to his expulsion, Mr Adewale was known on campus for a series of posts condemning alleged maladministration of the university including poor welfare on campus.
The university management in an expulsion letter to Mr Adewale said the article written by the student was “misrepresentation of fact about the university.”
The letter read that “at the Student Disciplinary Committee meeting held on August 29, 2019, you were invited for the purpose of giving you fair hearing on the allegation of an act perpetrated through the Internet, that is inimical to the integrity and corporate image of the university.”
“Senate at its 217th Statutory Meeting held on Thursday, October 17, 2019, considered the report of the Student Disciplinary Committee on the allegation and thus decided that you have been found culpable of insubordination to university officials, defamation of character and act perpetrated through the Internet that is inimical to the integrity and corporate image of the university based on the extant rules and regulations on penalties for various offenses by students of the university.”
“Consequent upon the decision of the Senate, you’re hereby expelled from the university as provided for the offences committed by you. You should surrender all university properties in your possession including the university identity card to the Dean, Student Affairs”, the letter read.
When contacted, the student, Mr Adewale, told newsmen that he appeared before the university’s panel to explain himself.
He said the university authorities found his defense worthless and were particular about him painting the institution in “bad light.”
Adewale said he sees his expulsion by FUNAAB’s management and the Vice Chancellor as a witch-hunt due to his relationship with Omoyele Sowore, the #RevolutionNow Movement, his previous letter to the Inspector-General of Police, and his consistent activism to bring about the development of the university community that is prone to incessant armed-robbery attacks.
He said, “The allegations against me is based on my alliance with Sowore and the #RevolutionNow Movement I was told by high-ranking officials within the university management.
“There was an open letter I wrote to the Inspector-General of Police on the incessant armed-robbery within the university community.
“So, I was secretly told that my expulsion is also linked to that letter, due to the fact that my letter almost got Ogun State Commissioner of Police removed.
“I was told that there was a publication made by SaharaReporters concerning the incessant robbery in FUNAAB, hence the school management felt I was definitely the one who gave the report to SaharaReporters due to my alliance with Sowore.”