UI SU Elections: Richard’s Campaign Manager, Akinola Olamide Assaulted, Escaped Kidnap

By Tiamiyu Hikmah Opeyemi

On Tuesday, 28th September 2021, Mr. Akinola Olamide, a 300-level of Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan was allegedly assaulted around the basketball court, at the Students’ Union Building Sports Complex. The incident took place around 5:10 pm when Mr. Akinola, who was said to have been in a faculty meeting with Mr. Richard Oladeji, one of the presidential aspirants for the upcoming SU elections left abruptly after he received a call. According to the testimony recounted by the Mr. Akinola, “I got a call from someone disguised as a close friend named ‘Kenny Zik’ who demanded that I meet him urgently at the SUB Basketball pitch.” 

At the time, the unfolding events did not appear suspicious until Mr. Akinola alighted from his car to a gang of waiting mob who instantly rounded him up, of which he claimed to have been beaten seriously and driven off in a private car. The assailants then drove him off to AWBA dam, one of the remotest areas in the university, where he said he was tortured and brutalized. 

Mr. Akinola said his assailants made a video call to their ‘supposed’ client in a bid to confirm his identity. During the video call, he heard the voice of Tobiloba Adetola (one of the supporters of Adewole Yinka (Mascot). After the call, the assailants made a frantic attempt to drive him out of school. By sheer luck, Mr. Akinola was able to escape at the checkpoint at the security post at the University of Ibadan’s main gate. Though he did not suffer any injury that explains the level of assault, he revealed he now has mental health issues and body pains.

Reacting to the incident, Mr. Richard Oladeji said “this incident was initiated by my opponent (Mascot) and I hope justice would be served.” When contacted to make comments about the accusations, Miss Tobiloba Adetola declined to comment. “I would get back to you,” was the statement she uttered to this correspondent. After 24hours, this correspondent called her back only to hear the same statement. This time in an unpleasant tone.

In a further conversation with Mr. Akinola, the victim reiterated that he was traumatized by the incident, most especially how the assailants hijacked his car which is currently at the security post of the University as evidence of the crime. According to him, “these people (referring to his assailants) are cultists and you should know there is a rise in their population in the school premises’. He vowed to press charges against the assailants, claiming that he would not relent until they are brought to book.  

Adewole Olayinka reacts- “I am not a cultist nor am I affiliated to any of them”

In a conversation with Mr. Adewole Olayinka regarding this incident, he claimed to have no affiliations with Miss Tobiloba Adetola’s boyfriend and other associates—who were the suspected assailants. Though he said Miss Tobiloba Adetola was one of his supporters at the Faculty of the Social Sciences Students Association, he debunked having any prior knowledge of whole incident until he got a call from the University of Ibadan Security Unit.

He revealed that when he arrived at the security post, one of the furious fans of Mr. Richard went physical on him and was held back by the security agents to abet chaos. He told this correspondent that “Richard has been going about saying I am a cultist, has he forgotten I served as the Chairman, Student’s disciplinary committee? Since he could ascertain the identities of these people- cultists to some large extent, he should drop their names and details to the University.”

All attempts to speak with the security officer in charge of this case (incident) have so far proved abortive as the officer has been in a series of meetings because of the official assignment he went for.