The suspended Deputy Dean of Student Affairs at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Dr Banji Olaleye, has alleged that his suspension over an extortion investigation was premeditated, claiming the university administration had been determined to remove him long before the allegations surfaced.
Olaleye, who spoke in an interview on Sunday, said the decision to suspend him formed part of a deliberate campaign to tarnish his image, insisting that the current management had viewed him with suspicion since assuming office in February.
According to him, some officials believed he did not support the emergence of the institution’s incumbent Vice-Chancellor, a claim he dismissed as unfounded.
“I am not a kingmaker. I did not install anyone as Vice-Chancellor,” he said, adding that he had already anticipated leaving office at the end of July when the tenure of political appointees was expected to expire.
The university had suspended Olaleye alongside the Director of the Directorate of Educational Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Olanrewaju Ogunjobi, and the Students’ Union Government President, James Adio, following allegations that they participated in the unauthorised collection of N1,000 from each 100-level student.
Explaining his role in the matter, Olaleye maintained that he neither authorised nor collected the money.
He said he became involved only after the Dean of Student Affairs requested that he mediate between the Directorate of Entrepreneurship and student leaders over the disputed levy.
He stated that the directorate informed him the money was being collected directly from students because funds required for practical sessions had not been released by the university management.
According to him, he was only asked to ensure that class representatives remitted funds already collected, leading to the recovery of about N2.5 million.
Olaleye further claimed that the Director of the Entrepreneurship Centre later instructed that N1 million be given to student representatives in appreciation of their cooperation, while the remaining N1.5 million was transferred into an account designated by the directorate.
He insisted that he merely communicated the resolution and facilitated the recovery of money from class governors without personally handling or diverting any funds.
The suspended official also disclosed that he appeared before an investigative panel where questions were raised over claims that student representatives received only N35,000 instead of the approved N1 million.
According to him, the panel later established that the full N1 million had indeed been paid to the students.
Despite this, he said he was suspended on June 10 alongside the entrepreneurship director and the SUG president, while other officials directly involved in handling the funds were allegedly excluded from the investigation.
Olaleye criticised the disciplinary process, arguing that the university publicly announced his suspension before concluding its investigation, exposing him to public embarrassment.
He also questioned why he received an official query five days after his suspension, describing the procedure as irregular.
The lecturer said he had appealed the suspension and petitioned the Chairman of the Governing Council, urging the institution to conclude its investigation before imposing sanctions.
He argued that the subsequent reinstatement of the suspended Students’ Union president further raised questions about the basis for the disciplinary action taken against university staff.
Maintaining his innocence, Olaleye insisted he had never extorted students or misappropriated their funds, stressing that he had always supported students, including offering personal financial assistance where necessary.
Meanwhile, a senior university official, who requested anonymity, alleged that the investigative panel misled the management.
The source claimed the Office of Student Affairs had only intervened to resolve a dispute between students and the Directorate of Entrepreneurship and had even advised the directorate to seek alternative funding for the practical sessions.
The official also alleged that members of the panel had previous disagreements with students, raising concerns about the fairness of the investigation.
However, the university dismissed the allegations, insisting that the disciplinary measures were guided solely by its policy against student extortion.
FUOYE’s Director of Public Relations, Dr Sunday Saanu, denied claims that Olaleye’s suspension was politically motivated, describing the allegation as an attempt to blackmail the institution.
According to Saanu, the university administration has maintained a zero-tolerance policy on extortion since the current Vice-Chancellor assumed office, with the Senate and Governing Council endorsing strict sanctions against any lecturer found guilty of such misconduct.
He said the investigative committee established a prima facie case against Olaleye, prompting the university management to approve disciplinary action.
“The evidence against him was overwhelming. The committee found that he directed that money be collected from students,” Saanu said.
He added that the case had no connection with the lecturer’s alleged stance during the Vice-Chancellor’s emergence, noting that many staff members who did not support the process had continued working without any form of victimisation.