The two leaders of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), University of Lagos branch, arrested by security operatives from the State Criminal Intelligence Department (SCID) in the early hours of Thursday, have been moved to the Directorate of State Security (DSS) office, Shangisha, Lagos.

Prince Oriwaye Adefolalu, a former Chairman of the University of Lagos branch of SSANU, and his counterpart, Mr Adekola Adetomiwa, were arrested from their residences in Lagos, allegedly on the orders of the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, and taken to the office of the SCID situated in Ikeja, Lagos.

News Express learnt when human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and other union leaders from UNILAG visited the SCID yesterday to secure their release, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in charge of the case informed them that the two SSANU leaders were being detained based on “order from above” and that they were awaiting further directives from the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal.

At this point, Falana was said to have complained that the police were abusing the rights of the union leaders, saying that he would not hesitate to drag the law enforcement agency to court if they were not released.

That notwithstanding, some union leaders and the family members of the detainees who went to the SCID this morning were informed by the police officers on duty that they had been moved to the DSS office in Shangisha.

As at the time of filing this report, the family members yet to be given access to the detainees.