Alleged Financial Misappropriation: Court Adjourns FUOYE VC’s Suit Till Nov. 11

By Wale Igbintade

The Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has fixed November 11, for further hearing in a fundamentals human rights enforcement suit filed by the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, (FUOYE), Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, and two others, seeking to stop police investigation into the alleged financial misappropriation against them.

Justice Aneke adjourned the matter following the submission of Professor Abayomi’s lawyer, Mr. Ebun Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), informing the court of his clients’ further affidavit, which he said has been served on the respondents.

Adegboruwa (SAN) had also informed the court that he would not be able to go on with the matter, as he was to travel to Abuja for another matter.

In response, the Counsel to the Police, Mr. Chukwu Agwu, asked the court for a stand-down to enable him to study the affidavit and reply on point of law.

However, Justice Aneke adjourned further hearing in the matter to enable the applicants’ lawyer to travel outside the jurisdiction of the court.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abayomi alongside Mrs. Bridget Oyaola and the University’s Acting Director of Works and Chief Internal Auditor, Mr. Sulaiman Olajide Usman, have instituted a suit marked FHC/L/CS/684/2021, against the Commissioner of Police (PSFU); CP Anderson A. Bankole and Supol Sunday Akeregun as first to third respondents.

In the suit, Abayomi and others have sought a declaration that they are entitled to know and be informed of the details of any investigation against them by the police.

They also urged the court to declare that physical invasion of the university’s premises by the respondents in an attempt to arrest and detain the vice-chancellor in a manner unknown to law, constitutes a flagrant violation of their rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

They also asked the court to award the cost of N50 million being general, aggravated, and exemplary damages against the respondents, jointly or severally for the violation of their fundamental rights.

However, the police in a counter-affidavit deposed to by Supol Segun Akeregun, asked the court to dismiss the applicants’ suit for being frivolous and abuse of court process.

The deponent averred that it is untrue that the police invaded the premises of the vice-chancellor on June 17 and 18, 2021, or any day at all but only visited the university’s premises to serve an invitation letter on the vice-chancellor over criminal allegations.

He further alleged that the vice-chancellor has been heading more than eleven (committees) before he became the vice-chancellor, arguing that these committees deal with contracts and other financial engagements.

The deponent averred that the vice-chancellor as the then chairman of TETfund committee of the university allegedly converted to himself about N13, 864, 925.00 through the son, Fasina Oluwadamilola Tosin, who was a postgraduate student at Sterling University, Scotland.

He also stated that it is only a comprehensive and complete police investigation that will determine whether or not the applicants were culpable, adding that the applicants filed the suit to intimidate and circumvent police investigation and possibly to escape the long arms of justice.

The deponent while asking the court to dismiss the applicants’ suit for being frivolous, hoodwink, also prayed the court to award a huge cost against the applicants.