The Oyo State Police Command has arrested two employees of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) for allegedly assaulting a lecturer at the University of Ibadan (UI), Mr Mikail Abdulsalam, of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies. A third suspect is reportedly at large.

The incident occurred on Wednesday morning at the Obafemi Awolowo Railway Station in Moniya, Ibadan, when Abdulsalam stopped his vehicle to drop off his sister, who was travelling by train to Lagos.

Eyewitnesses said the NRC workers allegedly attacked the lecturer despite his calm demeanour, beating him before the police were alerted.

The incident was reported to the Moniya Division of the Nigeria Police Force. Sources said the lecturer sustained injuries during the assault and later spoke to journalists about the experience, describing it as painful and shocking.

Confirming the arrests, the Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Police Command, Mr Olayinka Ayanlade, said two suspects were in custody while a third had fled.

“The suspects are in custody, two of them. The third suspect fled,” he said, adding that the police had begun an investigation and were pursuing the fleeing suspect.

The incident has sparked outrage among residents and academics, raising concerns about the conduct of railway personnel and the safety of citizens at public facilities. (The Guardian)