The leadership crisis at the Federal College of Education, Technical, Akoka, Lagos, took a grave turn early Thursday morning when unidentified gunmen abducted the Deputy Registrar, Mr. Chris Olamiju, from his official residence.
Olamiju has been a key figure among the academic and non-academic staff protesting the extended tenure of the Provost, Dr. Wahab Azeez, for the past five weeks.
According to sources at the college, the gunmen forcibly entered Olamiju’s staff quarters around 3 a.m., breaking down doors before dragging him away to an unknown location. Witnesses suspect the gunmen might be operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
An anonymous source detailed the incident: “The staff of FCET, Akoka have been staging peaceful protests for five weeks due to serious allegations of administrative and financial misconduct against the Provost. Early this morning, Mr. Chris Olamiju, a Deputy Registrar and prominent protest leader, was brutally attacked and abducted from his residence by gunmen, suspected to be DSS operatives. His family was assaulted, and personal items, including documents, phones, and laptops, were seized.”
The incident has escalated tensions at the college, which has been embroiled in conflict since May 27 over the Provost’s tenure. Dr. Wahab Azeez, first appointed in May 2019, received a second term on May 26, 2023. However, a new law signed by President Bola Tinubu in June limits provosts to a single term of five years, leading workers to demand Azeez’s departure, arguing that his tenure effectively ended in 2023.
The Governing Council is currently investigating the situation and the allegations against both parties. Meanwhile, the Concerned Workers of FCET, Akoka have issued a statement calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Olamiju, warning that failure to do so will result in a full-blown strike that could spread to other Federal and State Colleges of Education in Nigeria.
