Metro
Student Leader Narrates How Police Killed Two FUOYE Students
The President of the Student Union Government of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Oluwaseun Awodola, has narrated how policemen from the Ekiti State Police Command allegedly killed two students of the institution.
He identified the deceased students as Oluwaseyi Kehinde, a 100-level student of Crop Science and Horticulture, and Joseph Okonofua, a 300-level student of Biology Education.
The student leader said two others were injured and admitted to hospital.
Awodola insisted that the police must be held accountable for the death of the students.
The protest was said to have been staged against the blackout on the campus of the institution.
The demonstration later degenerated, leading to the killing of the two students.
The school management had issued a statement on Wednesday asking all students to vacate their hostels because the campus had been shut indefinitely.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, had claimed that the students attacked the convoy of the wife of the state governor, Bisi Fayemi.
Ikechukwu also alleged that the students assaulted policemen and damaged a police vehicle.
He denied that the police shot any student at the scene.
However, the SUG president noted that the police were responsible for the death of the two students.
Awodola explained that while Okonofua, aka Icon, was shot in the stomach, Kehinde, a class representative, was shot in the head.
He said, “We finished the peaceful demonstration around 1.40pm. When I was done with a press conference, we discharged all our students by 2pm.
“I went to sleep at my friend’s place. I was still asleep when I was called around 4pm that some of our students had been arrested. A student told me that they were arrested on the Ikole campus and the police were bringing them to Oye.
“I decided to meet the soldier, who was with us during the protest, so that we could find a way to bail the arrested students. Together with the soldier, we went to meet the Oye Divisional Police Officer. The DPO assured us that the students would be released.”
The 300-level Biochemistry student explained that with the assurance, he returned to his friend’s house to continue resting.
He added that a few minutes later, his personal assistant called him that the soldier was looking for him.
Awodola stated, “I thought it was about the bail. When I met the soldier, he said the Chief Security Officer to the governor was around and that I should meet him.
“When we got to where the CSO was, we started talking, but an official came from nowhere and slapped me.
“There were students around and that incident almost degenerated into chaos. Everybody queried the official for slapping me. I was also angry and asked what I did. The soldier and the CSO begged me to remain calm.
“They said we should enter the car to go and see the governor and that they would ensure that the official apologised. The students said I should not go.
“Later, they said I should meet with the wife of the governor and that she was around. The students, again, said I should not go.”
Awodola said while the CSO and the soldier tried to appease him, the former told him to meet with the state Commissioner of Police.
He added, “The CSO asked the soldier and I to wait for him for a minute. After a while, I told the soldier that I wanted to go and rest and that I was no longer angry. I stood to go and meet the CSO to tell him that I was leaving.
“As I turned to leave, we heard a gunshot from a policeman, who shot in the air. The CSO to the governor ran to meet the policeman and asked him why he shot in the air. Before we knew it, the police had fired tear gas canisters at us and that was how the commotion started.
“The indigenes started throwing stones and the students joined them. Everything turned violent as the police started shooting at the students. That was when they killed a student, which aggravated the already tensed situation. And we later lost another student.”
He lamented that the poor handling of the protest by the police led to the loss of two lives.
The SUG leader called for an investigation into the deaths, saying justice must be served.
Meanwhile, the governor’s wife has given her own account of the incident.
She maintained that the killings did not happen while she was at the scene.
Mrs Fayemi said she had gone to three local government areas on an empowerment and advocacy tour.
She explained that while her team was at Ilejemeje, information filtered in that students of the university were protesting lack of electricity in Oye.
The governor’s wife said she and members of her team were later informed that the protest had ended.
She stated, “When my convoy got to the Oye-Isan junction, we were met by a convoy of excited motorcyclists, who led us into Oye. The atmosphere was very peaceful; the women were singing and dancing, and there was nothing to indicate that anything was amiss.
“I stopped at the tent erected for the mobile health clinic in front of the civic centre to greet the elderly patients, who were being attended to, and I also went to greet the beneficiaries of the Food Bank for the Elderly Project (Ounje Arugbo), who were assembled under another tent. I then proceeded to the hall for the programme.
“Half-way through our event, there was a disturbance outside. The FUOYE students (possibly infiltrated by local thugs) had re-grouped and were trying to get into the venue. The security officers prevented this from happening.
“We finished our programme and by the time we got outside, we found that vehicles from my convoy and those of my guests that were parked outside the venue had been vandalised. As we were driving out of Oye town, we encountered at least two roadblocks that the students had mounted to prevent the movement of vehicles. I could see students and thugs throwing stones and large sticks at us as we drove by.
“However, the casualties that were recorded did not take place while I was there. There are eyewitnesses, photographs and video footage to confirm this.”
She denied that the students’ protest turned violent because she refused to address them, adding that she was also shocked to read that the students were shot at on her instructions.
Mrs Fayemi added, “I firmly believe in citizens’ rights to protest on issues of concern. I am deeply saddened that at least one fatality has been recorded. As a mother, my heart bleeds. All these students are my children and no mother prays to weep over her offspring.
“I extend my sincere condolences to the family concerned, and I wish those who are still receiving treatment a speedy recovery.
“The Obirinkete tour has been suspended pending a review of what transpired yesterday (Tuesday). I thank friends and all members of the public, who have expressed concern over this. God bless you all.”
The management of FUOYE said in a statement on Tuesday that three injured students were receiving medical attention at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti.
“As of this evening (Tuesday), three students were injured, with two of them having minor injuries, and one having a severe abdominal injury currently hospitalised at the FETHI,” the statement said.
The management had on Tuesday evening shut down the institution and proscribed the SUG.
When contacted on the reported death of two students, the Public Relations Officer, FUOYE, Mr Geoffrey Bakji, said, “I cannot confirm that because I don’t have any official information to that effect yet.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Caleb Ikechukwu, also said, “I can’t confirm that. I can’t confirm the story; as soon as I am briefed, I will tell you.”
However, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Muyiwa Olumilua, said in a statement, “The Ekiti State Government has been informed that there might have been casualties recorded during the incident. We await more details of this sad development from the school authorities. Nothing is worth the loss of any life.”
The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ekiti Council, Rotimi Ojomoyela, condemned the “calculated” attacks on journalists during the incident and urged the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators.
According to him, journalists on the governor wife’s entourage narrowly escaped being killed during the incident, with some sustaining varying degrees of injury.
The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Funminiyi Afuye, who condemned the attack on the entourage of the wife of the governor, called on the police to investigate the matter properly to unravel those behind it.
Also, the Afenifere in Ekiti State condemned the incident, saying, “This attack was very sad, ugly and unwarranted, and we join all well-meaning Nigerians to condemn the fracas, which we understand was very deadly.
“It was bad manners for those calling themselves leaders of tomorrow to misbehave and to transfer their aggression with high level of irrational behaviour to the governor’s wife, who was on a peaceful visitation across the state.”
The Punch
A gas-laden tanker overturned on a Lagos road on Monday after the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle.
The General Manager (GM), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, who made this known in a statement on Monday in Lagos, said that timely response of traffic officials, however, averted an explosion at the scene.
He said the incident occurred along the main carriageway at Chisco, before the traffic light inward Victoria Island area.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the incident occurred when the driver of the truck, fully loaded with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) cylinders, lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn on the busy expressway.
“Given the highly volatile nature of the product, the situation posed an immediate and severe threat to human life and property, necessitating urgent technical intervention,” he said.
The GM said that LASTMA personnel swiftly cordoned off the affected area upon arriving at the scene, securing both the overturned vehicle and the CNG tanks.
According to him, this was done to prevent any leakage or ignition that could have triggered an explosive conflagration.
Bakare-Oki said that the LASTMA Rescue and Emergency Unit immediately activated a multi-agency emergency protocol, summoning key responders.
“The responders are the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lekki Concession Company (LCC), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
“Through this rapid inter-agency collaboration, the imminent threat was expertly contained, and normalcy was swiftly restored,” he said.
Bakare-Oki, who was physically present at the scene, lauded the prompt and disciplined conduct of his officers and partner agencies.
He disclosed that the upturned gas tanker was professionally recovered, using state-of-the-art heavy-duty cranes and recovery equipment mobilised to the site.
“Their immediate action in securing the environment prevented what could have been an unspeakable tragedy.
“We ensured that the recovery process was conducted under the highest safety protocols to eliminate any residual risk,” he said.
He further revealed that additional LASTMA personnel were deployed to the area to manage the resultant traffic congestion.
He added that the team guaranteed the safety of commuters navigating through the Victoria Island corridor.
“While the main carriageway was closed temporarily from Chisco inward Victoria Island, motorists were immediately diverted through the new coastal road and reconnected via Bar Beach.
“This ensured the continuity of vehicular movement till the recovery operation was safely concluded and the road reopened to normal traffic,” he said.
The GM emphasised that the incident underscored the critical importance of adherence to road safety regulations, especially among truck drivers and operators of articulated vehicles transporting flammable and hazardous materials.
He admonished such operators to strictly observe prescribed speed limits, maintain their vehicles in sound mechanical condition, and exercise heightened vigilance, particularly under wet weather conditions.
Leading communications network, Globacom, has registered another milestone with its ongoing investment in its people as the SheGlows Summit 2025 convened women from every division at the Alliance Française, Mike Adenuga Centre, Lagos.
This year’s theme, “Wellness for Growth,” underscored a simple truth: wellbeing is not separate from performance-it powers it.
From Mrs Olubunmi Aboderin Talabi’s reflections on rest, to Bunmi George’s insights on consistency, and Ifeoma Williams’s masterclass on confidence, every session linked personal wellness to leadership readiness.
The summit’s success mirrored Globacom’s broader commitment to a management culture that continually fosters spaces where women can learn, lead, and lift others.
While the spotlight shone on the female workforce, the quiet endorsement from senior leadership made clear that this vision starts at the top and ripples throughout the organisation.
Participants left with renewed clarity and community spirit, a testament that when companies nurture wellness, they unlock growth that lasts.
They lauded the experience as inspiring and transformative. Ifeyinwa Okoli, Team Lead, Customer Care, said, “The event was beyond my expectations; each speaker delivered her message beautifully, and I’ve taken so much home.”
Esther Ohiomoba from Enterprise Business added, “It touched my core. My biggest takeaway is to let my brilliance serve, not intimidate. I’d love to do this again and again.”
By Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD
“Leadership is the sacred stewardship of the groan—the courage to lean into the tension of today to midwife the glory of tomorrow for people, corporations, and nations” – Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD
Introduction: The Universal Sound of Growth
If you have ever led anything—a team, a project, a family, a company, or even a personal dream—you are intimately familiar with the sound. It is not a scream of terror, nor a shout of victory. It is something deeper, more primordial. It is the groan.
It is the late-night sigh over a spreadsheet that refuses to balance. It is the fervent debate in a boardroom about a risky new direction. It is the quiet frustration of a community leader facing systemic injustice. It is the personal cost of upholding integrity when compromise would be easier.
For too long, we have mislabeled this groan as failure, burnout, or a sign to quit. But what if we have it all wrong? What if the groan is not the signal of an ending, but the essential, non-negotiable birth pang of a new beginning?
This profound leadership pattern is revealed in the ancient text of Romans 8:18: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
This passage reframes our struggle. The “groan” is the present suffering; the “glory” is the future revealed. The space between them is where true leadership lives. This is not a passive hope, but an active, gritty, and strategic journey of midwifing possibility into reality for people, corporations, and nations—all as an act of stewardship to God Almighty.
Part 1: Deconstructing “The Groan” – The Leadership Crucible
The groan is the pressure that forms the pearl. It is the tension between vision and current reality. For a leader, ignoring the groan is negligence; understanding it is wisdom; and navigating it is mastery.
A. The Personal Groan: The Weight of the Self
Before we lead others, we must lead ourselves, and this is where the first groans are heard.
· The Groan of Discipline: The 5 a.m. alarm to invest in personal development when comfort beckons.
· The Groan of Failure: The sting of a missed opportunity or a flawed decision that becomes the crucible of resilience.
· The Groan of Loneliness: The burden of confidential decisions that cannot be shared, borne alone in the quiet of one’s office.
· The Glory: This personal groan forges character, wisdom, and resilience. The leader emerges not just smarter, but wiser; not just skilled, but grounded. They become a source of stability for others because they have been refined in their own fire.
B. The Organizational Groan: The Birth Pangs of Innovation
Corporations and institutions do not transform through comfort. They evolve through necessary, and often painful, strain.
· The Groan of Innovation: The financial drain and uncertainty of R&D, where countless ideas die so that one might change the world.
· The Groan of Restructuring: The difficult, people-centric process of dismantling outdated systems to build more agile, future-proof models.
· The Groan of Cultural Shift: The exhausting, long-term work of rooting out toxicity and fostering a culture of trust, accountability, and empowerment.
· The Glory: This organizational groan yields market leadership, sustainable profitability, and a legacy brand. The company transitions from being a mere participant in the market to a shaper of it, creating products and cultures that define excellence.
C. The Societal Groan: The Labor Pains of a Nation
The most complex groans are those of nations and communities. They are collective, historic, and deeply felt.
· The Groan of Justice: The relentless, multi-generational struggle against corruption, inequality, and systemic oppression.
· The Groan of Reform: The short-term political and economic pain endured for long-term national benefit—be it in education, infrastructure, or economic policy.
· The Groan of Unity: The challenging work of forging a common identity and shared purpose out of diverse, and often divided, peoples.
· The Glory: This societal groan builds prosperous, just, and stable nations. It results in a legacy of peace, a high quality of life, and a society where human potential can flourish for generations to come.
Part 2: The Global Landscape: Groans Heard Around the World
This “Groan to Glory” framework is not theoretical; it is actively unfolding on the global stage.
· Local Context (Example: A Community Leader): A small-town mayor groans under the weight of a dying main street and youth exodus. The “glory” is not achieved by a single grant, but through the grueling work of rallying local businesses, attracting new investment, and revitalizing community pride—a glory seen in a thriving, vibrant town a decade later.
· Corporate Context (Example: The Tech Industry): The entire tech sector is in a prolonged “groan” over ethical AI. The tension between breakneck innovation and societal safety is immense. The “glory” will belong to the leaders and corporations who navigate this groan successfully, establishing a new paradigm for responsible and transformative technology.
· Global Context (Example: The Energy Transition): Nations worldwide are groaning through the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. This involves economic disruption, geopolitical shifts, and technological hurdles. The “glory” will be a sustainable planet, energy independence, and new frontiers of economic opportunity for those nations that lead the way.
Part 3: The Leader as a Midwife of Glory: A Sacred Stewardship
Our role as leaders in every sector is not to avoid the groan, but to lean into it with purpose and perspective. We are, in the most sacred sense, midwives of possibilities.
Our core function is to “deliver possibilities.” This means:
1. Seeing the Potential: Visioneering the “glory” hidden within the present struggle.
2. Creating the Space: Building cultures and systems where the groan is acknowledged as part of the process, not a sign of failure.
3. Providing the Resources: Equipping our people and our organizations with the tools, trust, and time to persevere.
4. Guiding the Process: Steering the tension with wisdom, making the tough calls, and protecting the vision from short-sighted compromises.
And all of this is “to the glory of God Almighty.”
This is the ultimate “Why” that redefines success. When we lead with this mindset:
· Our ambition is purified. Success is no longer about our ego but about our stewardship. The thriving corporation becomes a testament to God’s principles of order, creativity, and excellence.
· Our endurance is fortified. Knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58) provides a resilience that worldly motivation cannot match.
· Our legacy is eternal. The “glory” we help reveal—a transformed life, a righteous organization, and a flourishing nation—becomes part of a story far bigger than our own.
Conclusion: Embracing the Sacred Tension
The journey from groan to glory is not a straight line. It is a cycle, a spiral of continuous growth and challenge. The glory of one achievement simply reveals the next horizon, and with it, a new, necessary groan.
Do not despise the groan. Do not fear it. Name it. Honor it. Lead through it.
For it is in this sacred tension that true leadership is forged. It is here that we partner with the Divine in the holy work of unlocking the God-given possibilities buried within our people, our organizations, and our nations.
The world is waiting for leaders who are not afraid to groan, for they are the only ones who will ever truly see the glory.
Let us lead accordingly.
Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke, AMBP-UN is a Recipient of the Nigerian Role Models Award (2024), and a Distinguished Ambassador For World Peace (AMBP-UN). He has also gained inclusion in the prestigious compendium, “Nigeria @65: Leaders of Distinction”.
