Release These Suspects Now!

RELEASE THESE SUSPECTS NOW!!!

It is quite unfortunate that some two young men suspected to be cultists have been held up in Awolowo Hall for about 24 hours since their arrest by some students. Before aberration becomes a tradition on this sacred land, we have to reason logically and weigh arguments carefully from the two factions involved else the innocent ones will be condemned unjustly. The peculiarity of the examination time and urgency of the message contained in this article will not give me the opportunity to explain things the way I see them but hopefully, I will write again one of these days.

The two suspected cultists have been said to have confessed to the allegations leveled against them but without mincing words, that was done under duress and before the fiery ‘Court of Awoites’. Headboy had a similar issue yesterday! The same faction that was attacked or that engaged these suspected cultists somewhere outside the campus are the same people moderating their case, I ask myself, can one be a Judge in his own case?

I am not a Law student but I have friends who are students in the Faculty of Law and I read about these things, God forbid, if anything bad happens to these young men that have been beaten blue black and held up for this long, many innocent Awoites will not be spared on a good day because no competent Court of Law has pronounced these ones guilty, hence are still presumed innocent!
I will not but plead with Great Ife students to understand the current political gulf in our Union and the two obvious factions who can do anything within their powers to pervade and propagate propaganda to gain students’ favour at any time. We are intellectuals and we should not be easily swayed away by their words. Our judgement should be premised on nothing but fair hearing before we take sides.

I call on all Great Ife students who recognize human right to freedom and expression to join me to call for the immediate release of these imprisoned ones now!

Two wrongs can never make a right! Illegality can never be legal!! It was Hon. Headboy yesterday, it may be you or me tomorrow!!!