The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) has responded to the overnight raid by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on some of its students living off-campus.

”However the University expresses strong reservations about the timing and mode of the operation said to have taken place around 2 AM on Wednesday, February 14, 2024,” Director, of Corporate Communication FUTA, Adegbenro Adebanjo said in a statement on Wednesday.

EFCC operatives in the early hours of Wednesday stormed the off-campus student lodges of the school and arrested some of the students.

Adebanjo still critical about the operations stated that ”The process should always follow the due process without causing harm or injuries to anybody physically or psychologically. Indeed but for providence something untoward could have happened in the course of the operation carried out in the off-campus hostels.”

The Director also dispelled notions of an invasion of the school hostels by the operatives of the EFCC

”Contrary to some false reports making the rounds, the operatives of EFCC did not invade FUTA and there was no operation whatsoever within the hostels or precincts of the University. The Incident in question happened in private hostels off campus.”

He equally revealed that ”The University is in touch with the EFCC to ascertain the identity of those arrested and validate their studentship and also to ensure that innocent FUTA students are not punished for offences they have not committed.”

Despite the institution’s frown on the mode in which the operations were carried out, Adebanjo, however, said FUTA would not be a party to ”anti-social practices”

”FUTA abhors all forms of anti-social practices including acts of criminality in all its forms and supports all initiatives to bring perpetrators to face the consequences of their actions within the ambits of the law.”

”The University rules and regulations as contained in the Students Code of Conduct as stipulated in the University Handbook and oath of Matriculation which all students are made to sign specifically prescribe varying degrees of punishment for students who run afoul of the laws governing their studentship or engage in illegal acts or odious behaviour. The Handbook will guide the University in the current situation.”

Source: Channels TV