The National Association of Nigerian Students Joint Campus Committee in Ogun State has advised individuals invited by the police for questioning to honour the invitation instead of resorting to protests and public campaigns.
The position was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Chairman of NANS Ogun JCC, Comrade Tijani Habeebullahi, in response to a circulated memo alleging harassment, intimidation and victimisation of some individuals by the Special Assistant to the Ogun State Governor on Student Affairs, Comrade Adeyemi Azeez Amoo, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, Ogun State Command.
Habeebullahi dismissed the allegations as false, describing the publication as an attempt to drag the governor’s aide into needless controversy while allegedly seeking to blackmail the police command.
According to him, the Ogun State Police Command has maintained a cordial relationship with the student community and has consistently demonstrated professionalism in handling matters affecting students.
He cited the rescue of kidnapped students in Sapade, the neutralisation of a suspected kidnap kingpin in the Ijebu axis and the police response to an alleged brutality case involving students of Ogun State Institute of Technology as examples of the command’s commitment to security and justice.
The NANS leader stressed that the police had a constitutional responsibility to investigate petitions and invite concerned individuals for questioning whenever complaints were lodged before them.
“Whenever a petition is submitted against any individual, the police have a constitutional responsibility to invite the persons involved for questioning and proper investigation. Such invitations should not be twisted into narratives of oppression or intimidation,” he said.
Habeebullahi also revealed that following the circulation of videos showing the governor’s aide being allegedly assaulted, he personally appealed to him to remain calm in the interest of peace.
He said Amoo subsequently directed his supporters to avoid any retaliatory action, a move he said helped to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
The student leader maintained that anyone who believed in his or her innocence should willingly honour police invitations and present evidence before investigators rather than mobilising protests.
“If those invited are genuinely innocent and have nothing to hide, they should not be afraid to honour police invitations and present their defence accordingly,” he stated.
Habeebullahi further expressed concern over what he described as the growing trend of some individuals hiding under the guise of student leadership to evade accountability for alleged misconduct.
He urged the Ogun State Police Command not to be distracted by what he termed attempts at public manipulation, insisting that justice must be allowed to take its course without interference.
He added that Ogun students remained committed to peace, progress and responsible engagement, warning against the use of student activism as a shield against lawful investigation.
