The factional Senate President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ismail Adediwura Adeshina has declared the president of the faction, Faruk Lawal missing hours after announcing his arrest.
He had also said that he (Adediwura) spoke with Lawal and that there was no cause for alarm.
Adediwura on Tuesday wrote on his Facebook page, “Nigeria students, please let us be calm, Faky is not free yet, but I have spoken with him, and no protest for now until when is necessary.”
Adediwura’s message came after the association had announced on Facebook that “Umar Faruk Lawal [was] arrested for impersonation.”
However, on Wednesday, Adediwura in a statement titled ‘Open Letter To All Security Agencies and Well Meaning Nigeria On The Missing Of Comrade Faruk Lawal, The President Of NANS,’ declared Faruk missing.
The letter he shared on Facebook read, “Am using this medium to inform the security operatives and well meaning Nigerians of the missing of Comrade Faruk Lawal, the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students since Tuesday 4th of October, 2022.
“Comrade Faruk Lawal was last seen around the Maraba/Nyanya axis yesterday afternoon. Different information is flying around in the student community that he was kidnapped while some says he was picked up by the security operative in connection to the crisis within the Student Association. This has generated a lot of tension within the student leadership rank.
“Therefore, in the interest of peace and security, I call on the Department of Security Services, Nigeria Police Force and all Security apparatus, students community, and well meaning Nigerians to come to our aid in finding our highly revered Comrade and Leader to douse the already heated tension. We believe in your capacity and commitment to ensure that Nigeria is safe for all and Sundry.”
The immediate past President of the NANS, Sunday Asefon, recently identified his duly elected successor as Usman Barambu.
Barambu and Umar Faruk were separately announced by their respective factions as NANS presidents-elect during the association’s presidential election recently held in Abuja.