Two persons said to be members of the Awo Hall Executives have been arrested by the police, following the death of a 500 Level student of the Civil Engineering Department at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Ahize Okoli.

Okoli was reportedly beaten to death by a mob on suspicion that he stole a mobile phone.

Sources on the campus said the student was accused of stealing a mobile phone in Awo Hall on Monday and after he had been severely beaten, he was moved to the Students Union Building in the early hours of Tuesday where he remained till around noon.

It was further learnt that because of the beating he received, Okoli’s health deteriorated and he was rushed to the OAU Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, where he was confirmed dead Tuesday afternoon.

The Osun State Police Command, while giving an update on the incident on Wednesday, described the two people detained as student leaders.

The command’s spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, who spoke to journalists, said, “Investigation into the incident will continue and justice would be served. We have arrested two student leaders in connection with the incident.”

Also speaking, the university’s Public Relations Officer, PRO, Abiodun Olarewaju, said the police should be allowed to investigate the matter, adding that the management of the institution would also carry out its investigation.

Olanrewaju said, “The university will not meddle in such a grievous offence. It bothers on the criminality of murder.

“So, let the police do their job and we will do our own here. We are going ahead with our investigation.”

The authorities of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State have shut down the institution following protests by students who were demanding a review of late registration fee and other fees levied by the institution.

The students, carrying placards, had, on Tuesday morning, come out in their numbers to protest the fees, which they said were unbearable and amounted to extortion.

The protesting students, who condemned the N5,000 late registration fee imposed on them by the school, blocked the main gates, preventing both students and lecturers from gaining entrance into the university.

The Students’ Union Government Public Relations Officer, Dotun Ogunsanya, who described the fees as an extortion, said, “This is more worrisome especially that we do not enjoy any facility in the school. There has not been power supply within and outside the university premises for many years now.”

EKSU Vice Chancellor, Prof Edward Olanipekun, however, on behalf of the university Senate, approved the suspension of academic activities on the campus for two weeks with effect from Monday.

The Head, Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs, Bode Olofinmuagun, in a statement, directed all students of the university to vacate the campus immediately and should not be seen within the premises for the next two weeks.”

The US State Department has come under fire from Internationally acclaimed writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for congratulating Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president-elect of Nigeria, despite a rigged election.

Adichie referred to claims of widespread violence, ballot box theft, voter intimidation, and other irregularities that plagued the February 25 election in an open letter to President Joe Biden.

The Independent National Electoral Commission failed to fulfill its commitment to post election results from polling places in real-time via their result viewing the webpage, according to the author of a piece that appeared in The Atlantic on Thursday.

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Chimamanda Adichie pointed out that the congratulatory statement itself mentioned that Nigerians were frustrated at the “manner in which the process was conducted and the shortcomings of technical elements that were used for the first time in a presidential election cycle.” She cited Ned Price, the spokesperson for the US State Department.

She also urged Biden to refrain from endorsing the outcomes of the “undemocratic process” in order to show his lack of concern for the status of Nigeria today.

“You have spoken of the importance of a ‘global community for democracy,’ and the need to stand up for ‘justice and the rule of law.’ A global community for democracy cannot thrive in the face of apathy from its most powerful member.

“Why would the United States, which prioritizes the rule of law, endorse a president-elect who has emerged from an unlawful process?” Chimamanda Adichie wrote.

According to the author, many Nigerians are furious not because their favorite candidate did not win, but rather because “the election they had dared to trust was, in the end, so unacceptably and unforgivably flawed.”