A crisis at the Federal College of Education, Technical, Akoka, Lagos escalated early Thursday morning when unidentified gunmen abducted Mr. Chris Olamiju, the Deputy Registrar of the institution, from his official residence.
Olamiju was among several academic and non-academic staff members who have been protesting against Dr. Wahab Azeez, the Provost, remaining in office for the past five weeks.
Sources within the college informed newsmen that the gunmen forcefully entered Olamiju’s staff quarters around 3 am and abducted him.
“The gunmen forcibly broke into Mr. Olamiju’s residence at the FCET Akoka Senior Staff Quarters in Yaba, Lagos, dragging him away in what appeared to be a coordinated operation,” said an anonymous source.
The incident occurred amidst ongoing peaceful protests by staff members against alleged administrative and financial misconduct by the Provost.
“The family of Mr. Chris Olamiju, including his wife and children, were reportedly assaulted during the abduction. Personal belongings such as documents, phones, and laptops were also taken, causing chaos within the FCET Akoka Senior Staff Quarters,” the source added.
In response to the abduction, Concerned Workers of FCET Akoka issued a statement urging the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and other stakeholders to intervene for Olamiju’s immediate and unconditional release.
“Failure to secure Mr. Chris Olamiju’s release promptly may escalate tensions, potentially leading to a full strike action by FCET Akoka workers, which could spread to other Federal and State Colleges of Education in Nigeria,” the workers’ statement warned.
The Federal College of Education, Technical, Akoka, Lagos has been embroiled in unrest since May 27, following disagreements over the tenure of Provost Dr. Wahab Azeez. While workers argue that Azeez’s tenure has exceeded the new statutory limit of five years as per a recent law signed by President Bola Tinubu, Azeez maintains that the law does not apply to his current term.
Currently, the college’s Governing Council is investigating the matter along with other allegations exchanged between the parties involved.
