Police Arrest 10 Suspects for FUOYE Student’s Death

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

Operatives of Ekiti State Police Command have  arrested 10 Suspects in connection to the death of a student of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, in Ekiti State.

Updating the public on the case, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ekiti State Police Command, DSP Sunday Abutu, in a press release sent to journalists yesterday revealed that following the order given by the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Mr. Ogundare Dare, 10 suspects have been arrested for  the death of the FUOYE student by the name Atanda Modupe Deborah to enable the command conduct a thorough investigation into the death.

The  200 level Nursing Student of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) was declared missing within the school premises on the 5th of September, 2023 and later found dead in a shallow grave at a distance of about 30 metres behind the Nursing Lecture Hall.

Abutu in his press release appealed to the members of the public to be calm.

The Commissioner of Police assured the people  that the command will do everything possible to unearth the identity of the perpetrators and ensure they are made to face the full wrath of the law.

Police enjoined anyone with useful information concerning the ugly incident to visit the Oye Divisional Police Headquarters, Oye-Ekiti or the State CID or call 09064050086/08053499199.

However, investigation by THISDAY revealed that the body of the deceased has been deposited in the morgue for autopsy while 10 suspects are currently in custody undergoing investigation.

Meanwhile,  the  Ekiti State House of Assembly has invited all heads of security agencies in the state to brief the lawmakers on some security breaches recently witnessed in some parts of the state.

The security chiefs are expected to appear before a Joint Committee of the House on Monday, 11th September at 10.00am with a view to addressing  the incidences of kidnapping which led to the death of a resident and abduction of five others.

The invitation of the heads of security agencies was one of the three resolutions passed by the Assembly at its plenary  yesterday after the lawmakers expressed concern on the security situation of the state under Matters of Urgent Public Importance.

The House at the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, also invited the management of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti to appear before the Committee on Education to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the murder of a 200 Level Nursing student, Modupe Atanda.

The State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) was also summoned to appear before the House for an interactive session on the alleged brutality and dehumanization meter out by some officers of the Corps on civilians recently.

The Assembly Minority Leader and member representing Ekiti East Constituency 1, Hon. Oladele Ogunsakin, who deplored the alleged brutality of some officers of security agencies also expressed dismay that some federal roads in the state have become death traps and aiding criminal activities.

The lawmaker representing Ise/Orun Constituency, Hon. Babatunde Omotayo, expressed sadness that four members of Itapaji Ekiti community were recently kidnapped after a kidnaping incident occurred in the town a week earlier leasing to the death of one person.

He said the Assembly must do something urgently on the security situation of the state stressing that there was need to summon the state Commissioner or Police and heads of sister security agencies to hear from them what they are doing to remedy the situation and save law-abiding people.

He suggested the establishment of a homegrown security outfit in which officers will be posted to their local government areas of origin while a reliable database should be created for that purpose.

The lawmaker representing Oye Constituency 1, Hon. Temitope Longe, drew the attention of the Assembly to the killing of FUOYE Nursing student, Miss Atanda, who had been missing on the campus since Monday only for her corpse to be found in a shallow grave with her eyes gouged out.

Hon. Longe explained that kidnapping, banditry and cultism had reduced to the barest minimum since the ascension to office of Governor Biodun Oyebanji  saying everything possible should be done to nip criminality in the bud in the state.

He suggested that the Ekiti Commissioner of Police, Director of Department of State Services, FUOYE Vice Chancellor and Chief Security Officer should be invited on what the authorities of the university are doing to unmask the killers of the female student and prevent a reoccurrence.

The lawmaker representing Ijero Constituency, Hon. Ademola Ojo, argued that security agencies must be alive to their responsibilities in the state more than ever before recalling his experience as a survivor of the collapse of an Event Centre in his constituency last Saturday.

The lawmaker representing Oye Constituency 2, Hon. Idowu Odebunmi, said the FUOYE incident should be used as a signal to curb similar future occurrences urging the House to extend invitations to Vice Chancellors of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti; Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti and the Rector of Ekiti State Polytechnic, Isan Ekiti to know the security situations on their campuses.

He advocated the installation of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras on the internal roads at FUOYE and the conduct of an autopsy on the remains of the slain student to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding her gruesome killing.

The lawmaker representing Ikere Constituency 1, Hon. Babatunde Oke, deplored the alleged of NSCDC operatives in some parts of the state informing his colleagues that officers of the agency attacked a lady in his constituency and stripped her naked with the video of the incident trending on various social media platforms.

He stressed that it was high time the alleged excesses of the NSCDC officer were curbed to prevent reoccurrence of ENDSARS protest while advising security officers to be more civil in effecting arrests.

Before putting resolutions on the issues to vote, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aribasoye, said the issues for debate on security matters called for sober reflection urging the executive arm to rise to the occasion on security of lives and property.

The Speaker noted that Section 14 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) provides that government should protect the lives and property of its citizens.

He put the resolutions to voice vote which was passed after the lawmakers expressed their support for the resolutions.