The Coordinator of the Owerri Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Dennis Aribodor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has condemned the arrest and detention of two officials of the union at Imo State University (IMSU), saying ASUU cannot be intimidated in the course of carrying out its legitimate duties.

Aribodor, in a statement issued in Awka, identified the arrested officials as the IMSU ASUU Vice Chairperson, Chinedu Egbuchu, and Investment Secretary, Nnamdi Chibo.

He said the officials were arrested while monitoring the ongoing strike at the university.

According to him, the two officials were monitoring activities at the Faculty of Media and Communication Studies, where examinations were being conducted, when they encountered the university’s Public Relations Officer.

“Information available to us indicates that the two EXCO members met the IMSU’s Public Relations Officer at the faculty, where examinations were being conducted.

“There was no altercation or confrontation between the ASUU officials and the Public Relations Officer. However, the situation changed when the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the university arrived at the scene and physically took the Vice Chairperson, Chinedu Egbuchu, and the Investment Secretary to the university’s security building, where police officers were already stationed,” he said.

Aribodor alleged that the two officials were subsequently questioned and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where they were detained for more than seven hours.

He said they were eventually granted bail on a N1 million bond each and directed to return to the State CID on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.

The ASUU coordinator insisted that the IMSU branch was on a legitimate strike after fulfilling all conditions for commencing the industrial action as approved by the union’s National Executive Council (NEC).

He recalled that ASUU Owerri Zone had in June alerted the public that more than five months after implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement commenced, the agreement was yet to be implemented in two state-owned universities within the zone — Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) and IMSU.

He said the union had called on the university administrations, governing councils and visitors to the institutions to commence implementation of the agreement in order to avert industrial disharmony.

According to him, the IMSU branch subsequently issued a 21-day ultimatum, while the union also undertook a national visitation to the institution in an effort to resolve the matter and prevent the strike.

“Now that the strike has commenced, what is expected from the administration of Imo State University is not intimidation.

“ASUU and her members can never be intimidated. Rather, the relevant authorities, including the Visitor to Imo State University, should implement the 2025 agreement,” he said.

Aribodor called on the authorities to resolve the issues that led to the strike rather than resort to measures capable of escalating the dispute.

He, however, said the Owerri Zone would hold the Vice Chancellor of IMSU, Prof. Uchefula Ugonna Chukwumaeze, responsible if anything happened to any of its members or their family members.

“The struggle of our union in Imo State University is for the good of the university, including that of the Vice Chancellor. Therefore, there is no need for intimidation and our union cannot succumb to intimidation,” he said.

Aribodor appealed to the Visitor to IMSU, Governor Hope Uzodimma, to direct the implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement at the university without further delay. (Vanguard)

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