Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) took to the Mowe Axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Monday to demand justice for Quadri Ogunbode, a 28-year-old Political Science Education graduate of Lagos State University (LASU), who mysteriously disappeared on January 16, 2025.
Armed with placards and chanting solidarity songs, the students urged the police to intensify their investigation into his disappearance, which reportedly occurred near a Celestial Church in the LASU community. Ogunbode, an indigene of Ogun State, was supposed to participate in LASU’s 28th Convocation Ceremony in April, making his sudden disappearance all the more distressing.
Despite the Lagos State Police Command confirming the arrest of three suspects, including a prophet, NAOSS and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of the investigation.
Addressing the press, NAOSS National President Kehinde Thomas lamented the anguish suffered by Ogunbode’s family, especially his mother, and emphasized the need for urgent intervention by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
“Heavy hearts, I say, because one of our NAOSS members and a graduate of Lagos State University, Quadri Ogunbode, is missing and probably not alive as we speak,” Thomas stated. He further decried perceived police complicity, stressing that the student body would not allow the case to be swept under the carpet.
The students vowed to continue protesting until tangible progress is made in the investigation. Thomas called on the Inspector-General to use his office, manpower, and technology to uncover the truth behind Ogunbode’s disappearance.
“We are not hoodlums but students who are legitimately demanding justice and saying no to police complicity,” he said. NAOSS reaffirmed its commitment to seeking justice through all legal means and mobilizing relevant stakeholders.
“An injury to one is an injury to all,” Thomas declared, emphasizing that the association would not rest until the case was resolved.
