The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Owerri Zone, has condemned the arrest and detention of two officials of its Imo State University (IMSU) branch, insisting that the union will not be intimidated while carrying out its legitimate duties.
The Coordinator of the ASUU Owerri Zone, Prof. Dennis Aribodor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, made the position known in a statement issued in Awka.
He identified the arrested officials as Chinedu Egbuchu, the IMSU ASUU Vice Chairperson, and Nnamdi Chibo, the Investment Secretary.
According to Aribodor, the two officials were monitoring the ongoing strike at IMSU when they encountered the university’s Public Relations Officer at the Faculty of Media and Communication Studies, where examinations were taking place.
ASUU Officials Taken Into Custody
Aribodor said there was no confrontation between the union officials and the university’s PRO before the university’s Chief Security Officer arrived.
He alleged that the CSO took Egbuchu and Chibo to the university’s security building, where police officers were already present.
The ASUU coordinator said the officials were later taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and detained for more than seven hours.
He said they were eventually released on bail after each was granted a N1 million bond, with both officials directed to return to the State CID on August 18.
‘ASUU Cannot Be Intimidated’
Aribodor maintained that the IMSU branch had embarked on a legitimate strike after fulfilling the requirements approved by ASUU’s National Executive Council.
He explained that the industrial action followed the failure to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement at IMSU and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU).
According to him, the union had earlier raised concerns over the delayed implementation and took steps to resolve the matter before the strike commenced.
“Now that the strike has commenced, what is expected from the administration of Imo State University is not intimidation,” Aribodor said.
He insisted that the union would not be pressured into abandoning its demands.
“ASUU and her members can never be intimidated,” he added.
Aribodor called on the relevant authorities to address the issues that triggered the strike instead of taking actions that could worsen the dispute.
He also appealed to Governor Hope Uzodimma, the Visitor to IMSU, to direct the immediate implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement at the institution.
The ASUU coordinator further said the Owerri Zone would hold the IMSU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Uchefula Ugonna Chukwumaeze, responsible if anything happened to any of its members or their families.
