A former President of the Students’ Union of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Oyekan Ibukun popularly known as Dr IBK has been remanded in prison over alleged stealing from the account of the union, which now has a new leadership.
The Magistrate Court sitting in Ile-Ife, Osun State had on Thursday ruled that Oyekan Ibukun be remanded in Ilesha while the case was adjourned till April 26.
Recall that Oyekan Ibukun of Health Sciences contested against Ijiyinka Ijiwole JK of Faculty of Tech, Awotiwon Ibiyemi of Faculty of Law, Ismael Taiwo TCOOL of Faculty of Social Sciences, Omole Ibukun Hon. IBK of Faculty of Tech, Oyelami John OYO of Faculty of Environmental Design and Management, Jegede Ayokunmi Victor HARVICS of Faculty of Sciences and was declared the President having won the election.
Few months after his election, he was unceremoniously removed from office as Students’ Union President in 2017 over allegations of misappropriation of fund, brigandage and disruption of peace in the campus which also culminated into proscription of Students’ Union activities by the management.
The recent allegation was that five years after his removal, he transferred a sum of N720,000 from the union’s account to the bank account of one Bello Oyekunle Azeez on April 8, 2022.
In a response letter from United Bank for Africa, dated April 12, 2022, titled, ‘Re- request for investigation on account no: 1012121930 – Obafemi Awolowo University Students’ Union’, to the current leadership of the union, headed by its president, Olayiwola Festus, the bank stated that N720,000 was moved via internet banking platform by a former union executive with User ID: OAUSU.IBUKUN; Name: Ibukun Oyediran Oyekan, to Oyekunle’s Guaranty Trust Bank account.
On his part, the Financial Secretary of the Union, Oluwasegun Abiola, in a statement on Tuesday, said, “On receiving the alert of the money withdrawn, I reached out to the President and Secretary-General if they received the debit mail but they didn’t receive any mail surrounding the transaction. Having raised an alarm about the whole issue, it got to some set of people whose aim is to talk down on the elected union officers or the office of the Financial Secretary.
“On Tuesday, April 12, the bank manager contacted me to inform me that the transaction was initiated by a so-called Ibukun Oyekan (Dr. Ibk), and he further buttressed that I should come over to get a detailed report of their investigation.”
Oyekan had, on Wednesday, been arrested by the OAU Security Department and transferred to Moore Police station for further investigations. He was charged to court on Thursday before Magistrate A.A. Ayeni of the Magistrate Court 3, in Ile-Ife with charges of conspiracy to steal, and stealing.
Oyekan, who pleaded not guilty, was remanded in Kosere Prison, Ile-Ife following his failure to meet the bail conditions. The case was subsequently adjourned till April 26.
The Students’ Union Public Relations Officer, Ogunperi Taofeek, stated, “Dr. IBK was admitted to bail with a sum of N500,000, amongst other conditions, but he could not meet the conditions. He is now remanded in Kosere prison. The court case has been adjourned till Tuesday, 26 April 2022.”