The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Oyo State on Students’ Affairs, Hon. Victor Dideoluwa Olojede, has dismissed allegations linking him to acts of violence during recent protests over the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, insisting that his role throughout the demonstrations was focused on maintaining peace and ensuring public safety.
According to him, the past two days have been very busy for me, especially due to the ongoing protests for the students who were abducted about two weeks ago. It is truly a sad event, and I have personally lent my voice to find a way to bring these children back safely to their parents.
For the sake of accountability, I will be explicit about my activities between Monday and yesterday. On Monday, I was with the protesters from Mokla to Agodi Gate to Total Garden, and then to the Oyo State Government Secretariat gate. While I was with them at the Secretariat gate, I took the initiative to speak with them to ensure that orderliness was maintained.
In fact, when some of these supposedly peaceful protesters began manhandling commercial motorcyclists and even elderly people who simply wanted to pass through to their respective destinations, I called them to order. I reminded them that if they resorted to bullying or violence, the purpose of the protest would not be achieved.
Furthermore, a truck loaded with filled gas cylinders was stopped on the road; I was the one who told them to allow it to pass because if anything ignited the gas-laden vehicle, it could cause an explosion, and they obliged.
It was also a result of my intervention that they opened the roads at 2:00 PM on Monday. Throughout all of this, I stood there with them as one of them, because I am equally concerned about these children and our nation.
Let me also add that I even bought packs of bottled water for some of the protesters just to help them stay calm. All of these events happened on Monday.
Yesterday, 2nd of June, 2026, the leadership of NANS, NUT, and NLC were at the Secretariat in large numbers to register their concerns with the Governor.
The Governor spoke with every one of them, after which the leadership of NANS left the Secretariat for Orire Local Government Area in Ogbomoso to visit the affected schools and to sympathize with the families of the abducted students. As the SSA to the Governor on Students’ Affairs, I joined the NANS leadership entourage.
While on our way, we stopped at a filling station to fuel our vehicles, which were conveying about six hundred Nigerian students from across the country. Suddenly, a group of supposedly peaceful protesters verbally attacked the NANS leadership, demanding that they join them in blocking the road.
The NANS leadership explained that they already had their own itinerary and would not be joining the blockade. While the argument was ongoing, another set of these supposedly peaceful protesters arrived and attacked the students with sticks and stones.
The student leaders therefore repelled the attack. While all this was happening, I was the one separating the parties, urging people to leave the scene so they would not get injured, and pleading with the large crowd of students to move away and continue our journey to Ogbomoso.
During the demonstration, I actively assisted a participant by recovering her seized camera; this action clearly demonstrates my neutrality and lack of animosity toward the group.
Not long after this incident, I started receiving calls from across the globe alleging that I had pointed a gun at people and ordered that some individuals be beaten. Me? No! Let me emphasize that in all my life, I have never held a firearm, let alone thought of killing a fellow human being.
In our clamour for a better Nigeria, one of the foundational elements we must uphold is the right to a fair hearing. It is quite surprising, and indeed sad, to hear that those who claim to fight oppressors are the very ones oppressing me.
Those who put my phone number out in the public space to incite threats against me are simply individuals looking to tarnish my image. I never did any of the things they alleged. I appreciate the Nigerians who gave me a listening ear to explain my side of the story. To those who believe the false claims and have resorted to threatening me, I hope you find this a worthy disclaimer.The law implies that he who alleges must prove.
Thank you, Nigerians.
Hon. Victor Dideoluwa Olojede
SSA to the Oyo State Governor on Students’ Affairs.
