Student leaders are preparing for peaceful protests in Ekiti State after the remand of James Adio, the immediate past Students’ Union Government (SUG) President of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) says the development raises concerns about justice and students’ rights, prompting the association to begin mobilising its members for demonstrations.
In a statement issued on Monday, NANS National President, Akinteye Babatunde, described Adio’s remand as a miscarriage of justice.
According to him, Adio was the complainant in the case before the Magistrate Court in Ekiti State and was not facing any criminal charges.
“I have just been briefed that the Magistrate Court in Ekiti State has remanded the immediate past FUOYE SUG President, Comrade Adio, in prison over a matter that he personally instituted before the court.
“From the facts available to us, Comrade Adio was the complainant and had no criminal case against him. It is therefore deeply disturbing that the matter was allegedly turned against him through the actions of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the presiding Magistrate,” the statement read.
Describing the development as a violation of due process and Adio’s fundamental rights, NANS announced plans for peaceful protests at the Ekiti State High Court, the Magistrate Court and the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
Akinteye said the association had directed its Joint Campus Committee (JCC) Chairman for the Ekiti Axis and the National Head of Administration to begin mobilisation.
“The National Association of Nigerian Students will not stand by while the rights of Nigerian students are trampled upon. We remain committed to defending justice, the rule of law, and the fundamental rights of every Nigerian student,” he added.
In a separate open letter addressed to Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, the state’s Chief Judge and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, NANS Head of Administration, Owolewa Taiwo, alleged that Adio approached the court after private, consensual moments between him and another adult were recorded and circulated on social media without his consent.
The association claimed the case, which it described as one involving alleged cyberbullying and the unlawful publication of private media, shifted focus during proceedings before Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun of the Magistrate Court in Fajuyi, Ado-Ekiti.
According to NANS, the magistrate allegedly concentrated on the private conduct of the parties instead of the cyberbullying complaint and ordered the remand of Adio alongside the defendants until August 4, 2026.
The association further alleged that the Director of Public Prosecutions, Akinlabi O.O., and the Director of Citizenship Rights, H.A. Adeyemi, argued that the Federal University Oye-Ekiti treated the parties differently by suspending only the female involved while allowing Adio to sit for his examinations.
However, NANS maintained that Adio’s legal team presented records showing his earlier suspension was unrelated to the case and that he had since been exonerated and reinstated by the university senate.
The student body also alleged that the principal defendant visited the Ministry of Justice several times before the court proceedings, raising concerns about the neutrality of the prosecution and the court.
NANS is now demanding the immediate recusal of Magistrate Adeosun, the reassignment of the case to another judge, an independent review of the remand order and an investigation into the conduct of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of Citizenship Rights.
The association warned that it would petition the National Judicial Council and other re…
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