ASUU Leader Abducted From Lagos Home After Appeal Court Ordered Federal University, Oye-Ekiti To Reinstate Him

One of the leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Federal University of Technology, Oye Ekiti, Dr Ezekiel Adeyemi, has been abducted from his residence in Lagos State.

SaharaReporters learnt that Adeyemi was abducted from his house around 2am on Saturday and driven to Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, on the allegation he had concluded arrangements to assassinate the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Fasina.

SaharaReporters gathered that the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, Ondo State, had recently dismissed an appeal by the university and ordered the lecturer cum activist to be reinstated by the institution.

“However, in order to frustrate Dr. Adeyemi from resuming his duties the University filed an appeal at the Supreme Court. Since the Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction in respect of labour matters, Dr. Adeyemi has dragged the University counsel to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for filing the frivolous appeal,” one of the top sources in the university familiar with the matter explained.

“Dr. Ezekiel Olugbenga Adeyemi, one of the leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Universities at the Federal University of Technology, Oye Ekiti was abducted in his house in Lagos at 2.00 this morning and driven to Ado,  Ekiti State. The allegation against him is that he has concluded arrangements to assassinate the Vice Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina.

“Adeyemi of the Department of Demography and Social Statistics was sacked by the University in 2017 over his activities in ASUU. He challenged his sack at the National Industrial Court  sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital, The Court had on November 12, 2019, faulted Adeyemi’s sack as FUOYE’s employee and granted the prayer of his counsel, Mrs Funmi Falana by mandating the governing council to reverse the action with immediate effect. The presiding judge, Justice O.O Oyewumi, also directed the management of the institution to pay all his entitlements up to date from the day he was sacked,” another top source revealed further.

SaharaReporters learnt that Adeyemi, who was a claimant at the lower court was sacked in 2017 in the university, which prompted him to approach the National Industrial Court through renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana SAN, to seek redress and he got favourable judgement.

“Dissatisfied with the judgment the University filed a notice of Appeal at the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, Ondo State. The University challenged the judgment and prayed the appellate court for a reversal.The reliefs sought from the Court of  Appeal include an order allowing the appellant to appeal the judgement and an order setting aside the lower court’s decision.  upholding the claimant’s complaints.The appellant also sought an order dismissing the claimant’s relief that he should be recalled  to continue to work as a staff of the university.

“The appeal was recently dismissed by the Court of Appeal due to lack of diligent prosecution by the University. However, in order to frustrate Dr. Adeyemi from resuming his duties the University filed an appeal at the Supreme Court. Since the Supreme Court lacks jurisdiction in respect of labour matters, Dr. Adeyemi has dragged the University counsel to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for filing the frivolous appeal,” top sources at the university explained.

Reacting to the abduction, his counsel, Femi Falana, demanded the immediate release of Adeyemi, saying he would protest to the Nigerian police to stop the culture of nocturnal invasion of the houses of suspects.

“I demand for immediate release of Dr. Adeyemi who has always taken advantage of the law to challenge the serial violations of his rights. In an era of kidnapping the nocturnal arrest is totally wrong. I will protest to police authority to stop nocturnal invasion of the houses of suspects,” Falana said.