By Justus Adetomiwa, Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti State Government has ordered an investigative review into allegations of extortion and misconduct following the arrest, prosecution and conviction of students of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise held on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
The decision comes amid growing outrage within the university community after the Students’ Union Government (SUG) alleged that the affected students were unjustly arrested, prosecuted and extorted by officials of the state’s Environmental Health and Sanitation authorities.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Taiwo Olatunbosun, on Sunday, the government said the review would establish the facts surrounding the incident and determine whether officials involved in the enforcement exercise acted in accordance with the law.
The government acknowledged the reports, petitions and public statements issued by student bodies and other stakeholders over the incident, noting that preliminary findings indicated the students were apprehended for violating the restriction of movement imposed during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.
According to the statements, the students were subsequently taken before a competent Magistrate Court, where statutory fines prescribed by law were imposed.
However, the government said it was taking seriously allegations regarding the conduct of some enforcement officials, particularly claims that money was collected from the students and allegedly paid into a private bank account.
“The Biodun Oyebanji-led Administration maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards abuse of office, extortion, corruption or any conduct capable of bringing the public service into disrepute. No government official is authorised to demand or receive payments outside procedures prescribed by law,” the statement read.
It said the investigative review would ascertain whether enforcement procedures were carried out in line with extant laws, verify the process through which court-imposed fines were paid, investigate allegations of payments allegedly made into a private bank account, determine whether any officer acted outside the scope of his or her lawful authority and recommend appropriate administrative or legal action where wrongdoing is established.
The government assured that no individual found culpable would be shielded from accountability, while stressing that no public officer should be condemned solely on the basis of allegations until all the facts have been established.
Earlier, the FUOYE Students’ Union Government had condemned what it described as the arrest, prosecution, conviction and alleged extortion of 18 students by officials of the Environmental Health authorities.
In a statement signed by the SUG President, Segun Ajayi, the union expressed “profound concern” over the incident, describing any abuse of authority against students as unacceptable.
The union said while it recognised the responsibility of government agencies to enforce the law, such powers must be exercised within the confines of justice, due process, fairness and respect for the fundamental rights of citizens.
According to the SUG, reports available to the union indicated that the affected students, who were allegedly travelling at the time, were arrested, prosecuted, convicted and subjected to extortion under circumstances that had raised serious concerns within the university community.
It warned that if the allegations were established to be true, they would amount to a disturbing abuse of legal processes and a grave threat to the rights of Nigerian students.
The union consequently demanded an immediate, transparent and independent review of the circumstances surrounding the incident, insisting that no student should be subjected to unjust treatment or exploited under the guise of law enforcement.
Meanwhile, the Ekiti State Government reaffirmed that the monthly environmental sanitation exercise remains an important public health initiative backed by the laws of the state, urging residents and visitors to comply with movement restrictions while calling on enforcement officers to carry out their duties professionally and within the confines of the law.
It also appealed to students, residents and other stakeholders to remain calm, avoid inflammatory statements and allow the investigative review to proceed without prejudice.