The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threatened a series of peaceful protests across Ekiti State following the remand of the immediate past Students’ Union Government (SUG) President of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Comrade Adio, saying the court’s action is a grave violation of due process and an assault on students’ rights.
The student body announced its decision on Monday’s night after its National President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, disclosed that he had been briefed on the development, which allegedly saw the former student leader remanded by a Magistrate Court in Ekiti State in a matter he originally brought before the court as the complainant.
According to Akinteye, available information indicated that Adio had approached the court to seek legal redress and was not standing trial as a criminal suspect. He, however, alleged that the proceedings took an unexpected turn after the involvement of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), culminating in the former SUG president’s remand.
The controversy stems from a case NANS said Adio personally instituted after private intimate videos allegedly involving him and another adult were secretly recorded and circulated online without his consent.
The association said the complaint centred on alleged cyberbullying, unlawful publication of private media, and invasion of privacy. However, it claimed the proceedings unexpectedly shifted focus during the trial, with prosecutors allegedly concentrating on the private relationship between Adio and the female involved before the court ordered his remand alongside other parties in the matter.
The NANS president said the development is “judicial rascality”. He alleged that it amounted to an abuse of judicial procedure and a breach of the former student leader’s constitutional rights.
Akinteye said in the statement, “It is deeply disturbing that the matter was allegedly turned against him through the actions of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the presiding Magistrate.”
The association subsequently directed its Joint Campus Committee (JCC) Chairman for the Ekiti Axis and the National Head of Administration to begin mobilisation for coordinated demonstrations aimed at demanding Adio’s release.
According to the statement, the planned actions will include peaceful protests at the Ekiti State High Court, the Magistrate Court, and the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions until what the association called “justice is served.”
The incident has added another chapter to Adio’s turbulent final months in office as FUOYE SUG president.
Only weeks earlier, the university suspended him over allegations bordering on the unauthorised collection of practical fees from students, a decision that generated widespread reactions within the student community before he was later reinstated. The latest legal dispute has now reignited public attention around the former student leader, although the circumstances are entirely different from the earlier disciplinary matter.
What has fuelled the current outrage, however, is the absence of an official explanation for the remand.
The allegations have also shifted attention to the conduct of judicial proceedings in the case, with the student body demanding greater accountability from both prosecuting authorities and the court.
Meanwhile, disputes involving student leaders often attract national attention because of the influence of campus politics and the role NANS has historically played in mobilising public pressure over issues affecting students and civil liberties.
While NANS has accused the Magistrate Court and the DPP of procedural misconduct, neither the Ekiti State Judiciary nor the Directorate of Public Prosecutions had publicly responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
The circumstances surrounding Adio’s remand also remain unclear, with no official court documents or prosecutorial explanation released to clarify why the complainant was ordered into custody.
For now, the dispute appears set to move beyond the courtroom. With NANS already mobilising members for demonstrations, attention is likely to focus on how the Ekiti authorities respond to the allegations and whether the legal questions surrounding the remand will be addressed before the planned protests gather momentum.
For More Details, Visit PrimeTimes