AN Operative of the State Security Service (SSS) Joshua Eyenmi has been accused of assaulting and harassing students at Akwa Ibom State University.
A student of the university Emmanuel Aniedu told The ICIR that Eyenmi who is the SSS operative in charge of students’ affairs in the state and his colleagues harassed and victimised him, leading to the forfeiture of his final year examination.
Aniedu said on April 6, when he was scheduled to start his final year examinations, he received a call from Eyenmi inquiring about his whereabouts.
“Upon the expiration of the time allotted for the exams, my course mates informed me that some heavily-armed men dressed in black uniform came to the examination hall in the engineering department, scanning faces.
“I learnt that they all lingered around for some time and left shortly upon the instruction of their team leader identified as Mr. Joshua Eyenmi,” Aniedu said.
In a telephone conversation obtained by The ICIR, Eyenmi inquired about the whereabouts of Aniedu and told him he was not happy with him.
“Comrade, I am not happy with you, where are you? I am not happy with you but I want to see you, so I will tell you, … Where are you? Are you not coming to write exams today? Or you don’t have exams today, I want to see you in person, so I can guide you properly,” Eyenmi said.
According to Aniedu, he never got a formal invitation from the operative seeking his attendance for a meeting or any other affair.
He said Eyenmi’s persistent search for him kept him away from the school premises in order not to be apprehended.
By keeping away from the school, Aniedu said he was unable to sit for his second-semester examinations which were statutory conditions in fulfilment of the award of Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in Akwa Ibom State University.
Aniedu also said that the persistent harassment of students of the school by Eyenmi has disrupted peace enjoyed by students in the departmental who were scared for their lives.
Another student of the school, Moses Itaketo Jackson told The ICIR that he was assaulted by Enyenmi during a protest in the state.
“It was during a protest with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Akwa Ibom state, he assaulted me and forcefully collected my phone from me,” Jackson told The ICIR.
When contacted by The ICIR, Jackson confirmed that Eyenmi assaulted him, collected his phone and searched through it.
However, Eyenmi denied the allegations made against him by the students.
He said he did not make the student forfeit his examinations, but was only doing his job.
“One Ekpo Inihobong, a student in the school was rusticated because he insulted the governor of Akwa Ibom state, the school invited him for a hearing and he came and insulted the lecturers in the committee.
“Aniedu organised students in April 4th to protest the rustication of a student who insulted the Akwa Ibom state governor. He wanted to hinder other students from writing exams.
“That kind of statement called for the presence of the security agencies, so we patrolled around the school, to make sure there was no fracas. He is my friend, I called him.
“So I came around the school with my team to patrol and it was the first day of exam, so the students should not be put in any kind of panic. I was not looking for him,” Enyemi said.
Against his claim, Aniedu said he received information from his colleagues that he was instructed by the school authority to arrest him.
He also denied assaulting Itaketo, saying that he only requested for his phone to make a phone call.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94