Police Arrests OAU Students For Protesting Against FCT Minister Wike During Varsity’s Public Lecture

Two students from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Kelechi Ejike and Joshua Temitope Oladepo, were arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) after protesting against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. The protest occurred on Thursday during the 2025 OAU Distinguished Personality Lecture, where Wike was delivering the keynote address. The students’ demonstration, captured in videos, involved them raising placards and chanting demands for compensation for residents whose houses were allegedly demolished under Wike’s FCT administration.

The protest briefly interrupted the lecture, which was attended by other prominent figures including the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Samuel Ortom. DSS operatives were seen forcefully removing the students from the venue before taking them into custody. This incident has raised significant concerns among human rights organizations and student activist groups, who view the arrests as a violation of fundamental rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Nyesom Wike, appointed FCT Minister in August 2023, has been undertaking an urban renewal initiative in Abuja that includes extensive demolitions. While Wike maintains these demolitions are essential for restoring the city’s original master plan, critics argue that the exercise has displaced thousands of people, leaving them homeless and without proper compensation. The arrest of the OAU students highlights the ongoing tension surrounding these demolitions and the right to protest against government policies.

Source: Online citizen reporters