Activists demand immediate release of detained student leader
The continued detention of Patrick Owolabi, a 400-level Philosophy student and the state coordinator of the Take It Back (TIB) movement, has sparked widespread demands for his immediate release.
Owolabi, who was among seven protesters arrested on August 10 in Akure, remains the only one still held by the police, despite the release of the other six, including Adekunle Ajayi, the Governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC).
Owolabi is accused of alleged involvement with cult activities, a charge vehemently denied by his supporters and the school authorities.
The situation began when Owolabi, in his capacity as the state coordinator of TIB, signed a letter on August 9, 2024, informing the Commissioner of Police (CP) about the planned protest on August 10. In a move perceived by many as an attempt to break his spirit and undermine his leadership, he was arrested and subsequently transferred to the Anti-Cult Unit of the State Police Command in Akure under the guise of an investigation.
Today, the investigation took a surprising twist when Owolabi was taken to his school by the Special Anti-Cult Squad of Ondo State Police Command. During this visit, he was unequivocally exonerated by the school’s management and a female student who had previously received threatening messages from suspected cultists. Owolabi had reported these threats to the school’s authorities in his role as a student union leader, further solidifying his stance against cultism.
Despite this exoneration, Owolabi remains in police custody, a situation that activists and supporters argue is a deliberate attempt to intimidate and mentally manipulate him, a tactic reminiscent of gaslighting. They assert that the continued detention is an effort by the state to sow feelings of isolation and self-doubt in Owolabi, thereby forcing him into submission.
“We are familiar with state efforts at sowing feelings of isolation and self-doubt in the young man in order to conquer him to submission. But we will come to that soon, if this game extends beyond today,” said Tope Temokun, a prominent activist and spokesperson for the movement.
The activists’ demands are clear and unwavering: the immediate release of Patrick Owolabi. They argue that the longer he is held, the more it becomes evident that his detention is politically motivated rather than based on any legitimate criminal allegations.
