The Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) has sought the assistance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba in unveiling the killers of Professor Opeyemi Isaac Ajewole, a lecturer in the Department of Forest Resources Management, University of Ibadan.

Professor Ajewole was killed by unknown gunmen who eventually went away with his Toyota Corolla 2003 model on Tuesday in Ibadan.

ASUU, University of Ibadan Chapter in a statement sought collaboration between the IGP and the Oyo State Police Command led by CP Adebowale Williams at unraveling the circumstance surrounding the murder of the deceased.

It stressed the need for logistics support that would assist in carrying out the onerous task.

ASUU was quoted in a release signed by the Chairman of the UI Chapter of ASUU, Prof Ayo Akinwole as asking President Bola Tinubu to take a passionate interest and ensure the security system unmasks the faces behind the murder of the Professor of Forest Economics and Urban Forestry.

“The hearts of every ASUU-UI member are bleeding so profusely as if pierced by swords. Our bones shook so tremendously as if our marrows were naked in the tundra region. We condemn in totality the gruesome murder of our comrade, Prof Opeyemi Isaac Ajewole and charge the security operatives to track down and apprehend the perpetrators of this dastardly act, with a view to unravelling the motive behind the incident as well as bringing the perpetrators to book, the union leader stated.

According to Akinwole, the only tribute that the death of Prof Ajewole deserves is that his killers are brought to justice and that Nigerians’ lives should matter to the Tinubu presidency.

He noted that “Prof Ajewole’s gruesome murder again reminds us of how valueless human lives have become in our clime.”

He maintained that “Death lurks in all imaginable and unimaginable corners of this country and comes cheaply. The Nigerian populace is constantly assailed by terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, assassination, hunger, unemployment, and many more insidious exterminators of our individual and collective dreams”.

He stated: “The situation of the Nigerian academics is even doubly precarious; they are prophets without any honour at home. Despite their immense contributions to national growth and development and recognition in the international circle, Nigerian academia is scorned and shabbily treated by the Nigerian state and the public for being unrepentant patriots.

It Is, therefore, disheartening that academics who cultivate, preserve, and disseminate knowledge for the advancement and development of society will become victims of societal malady to such an extent as to be targeted for elimination.

The Union wishes to use this teary occasion of Prof Ajewole’s sudden death to call on the Nigerian state to resolutely tackle the problem of insecurity in the country, apprehend the killers of Prof Ajewole and punish them most appropriately. This is the least tribute that this nation can pay to our fallen hero and friend- Prof Opeyemi Isaac Ajewole.” (Nigerian Tribune)

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