FUOYE clears air on VC's supposed arrest after Osun election

The management of Federal University Oye Ekiti has said reports claiming that the Vice Chancellor, Prof Joshua Ogunwole, was arrested and detained by the police in Abuja are not true. Prof Ogunwole was the Chief Returning Officer for the recent Osun State governorship election.

Dr Sunday Saanu, FUOYE’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs, called the arrest and detention reports “entirely false, baseless, and deliberately fabricated.”

In a statement released in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, Saanu added, “Prof Ogunwole has not been arrested, detained, or invited by the police or any other security agency in connection with his official duties as Returning Officer or for any other reason.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, Prof Joshua Ogunwole, the substantive VC of FUOYE, successfully discharged his responsibilities as the Independent National Electoral Commission Returning Officer for the Osun State governorship election. In that capacity, he declared the incumbent governor, Mr Ademola Adeleke, as the winner of the election, following the conclusion of the process.”

The university management stated that “at no point has he (VC) been in the custody of any security agency.” They urged the public to ignore these false reports and to treat unverified social media claims with caution.

The statement noted that after the election, Ogunwole left Oye Ekiti on Monday for Abuja on official university business. They explained, “He travelled to the Federal Capital Territory to attend to critical administrative and institutional matters affecting the university.”

“It is deeply regrettable that some individuals chose to spread fabricated stories aimed at causing unnecessary anxiety among members of the university community, the people of Osun State, and the general public.”

The university management condemned the spreading of fake news. They reassured everyone that Prof Ogunwole is free, fully engaged in his duties as VC, and continues to work hard to improve FUOYE’s academic excellence and growth.

The university remains committed to transparency and will keep providing accurate information on issues affecting the institution and its leadership.