Ogun NANS dissociate self from threat to Policen over ex-chairman's arrest


The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun state, has dissociated itself from the call for the redeployment of the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole by the the Southwest zone of the student body over the arrest of the former chairman of NANS, Olawale Balogun.

Balogun was arrested at the venue of the All Progressives Congress (APC) parallel congress, organised by loyalists of former governor Ibikunle Amosun last Saturday.

He was arrested alongside five other loyalists of Amosun for alleged thuggery and being in possession of a prohibited firearm, an English barreta pistol.

They were subsequently paraded by the Commissioner of Police at the command's headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta on Monday.

Reacting to Balogun's arrest, the Deputy Coordinator of NANS Southwest zone, Oladimeji Uthman called for the removal of the state commissioner of police, Lanre Bankole over the arrest of Balogun.

Uthman also gave the a 12-hour ultimatum to release Balogun unconditionally.

But, the chairman of NANS in Ogun state, Comrade Damilola Simeon Kehinde in a statement in Abeokuta, denounced "the threats, defamatory statements and uncultured utterances" of Uthman.

The statement reads, "The widely circulated release have challenged and insulted the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force, Ogun Command and the person of CP Lanre Bankole.

"We emphatically state that we have no reason to ask for the redeployment of CP Lanre Bankole and we do not desire any compensation over a nonexistent aggrievement.

"In our bid to secure the release of the victim, we have refrained from making our various moves public due to the complicated nature of the case.

"In consonance with our stance against embroiling Students Unionism with politics, we therefore establish that we are against every political jobbers seeking to masquerade under the pretence of Unionism.

"Even as we maintain our belief in the innocence of Comrade Olawale Balogun, we appeal to the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that due process is followed and investigation be carried out so as to ensure that the innocent isn't punished."