MONSTROUS CITADEL: YOUTH CORPS MEMBER IMPRISONED FOR CRITICIZING MADONNA UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT STILL IN PRISON #FREENNAMANI

Secret Reporters

The Madonna University Ex-Student and serving NYSC Member who alongside others appeared before the federal High court in Akwa is still in prison custody.

Early last month, Nigerian social media space was agog with the hashtag #FreeNnamani in protest for the release of Chijioke Nnamani a graduate of Madonna University currently serving in Patani, Delta State who on 4th February 2019 was arrested at his place of primary assignment by the Tactical Team of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and taken to Onitsha Police Command.

Contrary to the initial statement by the police as the reason behind his arrest which included armed robbery, kidnapping, and cultism based on the petition of the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Madonna University Elele, SecretReporters learned that Mr Chijioke Nnamani was however arraigned in court alongside six other including a former lecturer and Dean of Student Affairs of the institution Ezeimo Anthony alongside his colleague Jonathan Abunotu, the former Public Relations Office (PRO) of the institution on trumped up charges of cybercrime.

Further investigation revealed that the crux of the matter was when one Father Francis was made the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Madonna University but was later relinquished of this position. Students protested at this action and wanted Father Francis reinstated which didn’t go down well with the school authorities that has been know over the years for its high-handedness as they declined. Subsequently, the school authorities sacked Ezeimo Anthony, the Dean of Students Affairs for not cooperating after he failed to provide the students who were involved in the demonstration.

The school PRO, Jonathan Abunotu was not left out of the tyrannical administrative style of the citadel of learning as he was also summoned by the CSO in Elele on why some persons were posting comments and things about Madonna University on social media. The PRO in his reply stated that he was only focused on promoting the image and brand of the school online and was not aware of such statements about the school on social media.

This online news medium learned that Mr Jonathan was allegedly locked up for days without food after he honoured the invitation of the CSO to report at the Elele campus with his computer containing his personal and school files which were later copied into an external drive, then he was asked to erase the computer. His refusal was allegedly met with death threats as he only regained his freedom after succumbing to the villainous CSO’s demand

His return to the Okija campus of the institution was met with a dismissal letter and arrest by officers of the Nigerian Police at his Okija residence.

While the drama was still playing out, the dismissed Dean of Student Affairs, Ezeimo Anthony took to his social media to reveal that Jonathan Abunotu has been arrested. Chijioke Nnamani and the others started commenting that if anything happens to Jonathan Abunotu the school will be in for it as well as other posts frowning at the activities, behaviour and authoritarian style of management by the school.

These actions SecretReporters learned were what Madonna University authorities labelled as cyber-crime.

Surprisingly, none of the charges of armed robbery, kidnapping, and cultism was ever mentioned during the court hearing, rather a trumped-up charge of cyber-crime was presented by Madonna University as their offence.

It is however sad to note that despite meeting the bail conditions, the police prosecutor refused to verify the address of the surety in order to #freennamani with the young man still behind the Awka prison walls of the Nigerian Prison Service.