The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, said it has arrested 69 suspected internet fraudsters in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
“They were arrested on Wednesday, 1st November 2023, at Oduduwa Estate area of Ile-Ife, Osun State following actionable intelligence on their suspected involvement in fraudulent internet-related activities. Credible intelligence linked Oduduwa Estate with activities of suspected internet fraudsters”, the anti-graft said on its official website.
The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, however said that a delegation from the school would visit the Ibadan Zonal Office of the EFCC to profile no fewer than 70 students arrested in a midnight raid on hostels outside the campus.
Multiple sources in Ile-Ife said on Wednesday morning that around 2 a.m., the officials stormed the Fine Touch and Superb hostels in Oduduwa Estate, Ile-Ife, broke into rooms, and arrested the students.
EFCC listed the suspects to include: Dankuwo Eniola Erioluwa, Mustapha Monsuru Oluwanisola, Adeyeye Timilehin Ebenezer, Toromade Hammed Adedeji, Busari Abdulazeez Ayodeji, Adeleye Olumuyiwa Emmanuel, Oluwasakin Moyosore Favour, Olubini Pere Michael, Oluwadara Emmanuel Benny, Gbadamosi Okikola Omotola, Okusipe Tobiloba Paul, Nnekwelugo Enaemeka, Aghwaritoma Wisdom, Adesina Gbolahan Khalid and Micheal Olugoke Oluwaseun.
Others are: Obafemi Joshua Mayowa, Eronmonsele Anthony Igberaese, Salau Oluwawumi, Jaiyeola Yinka Temitope, Ajayi Ayodeji Olanrenwaju, Oguntade Oluwabukunmi David, Abdulmumini Abdulsamad, Tolulope Oduola Folaranmi, Kayode Abdulraheem Ajuwon, Akinyemi Oluwagbenro Aduragbemi, Ayodeji Olumose Adedeji, Alawode Femi Segun, Junaid Hafiz Adeyinka, Akolade Oladele Sunday, Oyeniyi Banji Andrew, Oladusu Lanrinde Morakinyo, Ojo John Ifeoluwa, Akwuaka Tochukwu Blaise and Ogunleye Daniel Ayobami and Adebowale Omodesire Diekola.
The rest are: Arekemase Olayinka Ridwan, Ajigbolamu Ayomide Ademola, Asegun David Damola, Adibe Elvis Ebubechukwu, Ohakanu Chidubem, Adeoye Mayowa Irejah, Adesokan Charles Adekunle, Olorunfemi Isaac Oladimeji, Odeyemi Femi Victor, Alimi Ajibola Akorede, Okeke Ifaenyi Francis, Fawehinmi Ayomide Simeon, Soniola Olumide Elijah, Yahaya Isah Salihu, Daramola Junia Olamide, Agbabikaka Mojuolaoluwa and Kingsley Ejike Nweake.
Others are: Camara Abdullahi, Aminu Kehinde, Bayo Adegoke Iyanuoluwa, Alao Kolawale Oluwaseun, Oloruntoba Oluwatosin Adeniyi, Idowu Philip Oluwaseun, Maiye Daniel Olasile, Oyelami Peter OLuwaseyi, Emmanuel Nsochukwu, Komolafe Tosin, Praise Izuagie, Umehidi Obinna, Olujulo Lucas Ifeoluwa, Omejeh Stanley, Latilo Tolu, Oluwaseun Akinrelere and Great Onufomah.
Items recovered include exotic cars, 190 mobile phones and 40 laptops among others, according to the EFCC.
According to the commission, “the suspects have made useful statements to the EFCC and will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded”.
The Students’ Union President, Abass Ojo said the union had details of “72 students picked up from the hostel with phones and cars taken away”.
A former union official, Joy Abiola, told Newsmen that the students were beaten.
However, the National Association of University Students (NAUS) condemned the arrest.
In a statement by its National Director of Security and Safety, Eruobami Ayobami; Deputy National President, Babalola Daniel; and the Vice Chairman of NAUS in the state, Akinyemi Hammed, the students’ leadership faulted the process and actions of the commission, saying: “It is important that as students leaders, the security and safety of our students is paramount to us and the actions of the EFCC is synonymous to an action of gang of thieves and burglars”.
The university’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju, who confirmed that some students of the university were arrested, could not, however, give the figure.
Olanrewaju, who said the intervention of the management was to ensure that the innocent students were not made to suffer, added that the situation on the campus of the institution has remained calm.
He said: “We are very much conscious of the fact that some people are reckless among our students. We are not acting under the illusion that our students are doing some criminal activities but what we don’t want is for the innocent ones to suffer.
“As I am talking to you now, we are on our way to Ibadan to know the exact number of our students that were arrested, we will profile them and after that, we will report to the management, then we now know what to do”.
On the situation on the campus after the raid, Olanrewaju said, “Everywhere is calm. Please know that the students were not arrested on campus. They were arrested at different hostels outside the campus but that is not to say that we will not take care of our students.
“We can’t say that because they were arrested outside the campus; we just keep quiet like that, no. We are going to Ibadan the Zonal Office of the agency now”.
