The National Association of Nigerian Students has directed its members in Ekiti State to mobilise for peaceful protests after a Magistrate Court remanded the immediate past Students Union Government President of the Federal University Oye Ekiti, James Adio, in prison.

NANS National President Akinteye Babatunde condemned the development in a statement on Monday, alleging that Adio was imprisoned over a matter he personally instituted before Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun of the Magistrate Court, Fajuyi, Ado Ekiti, and that the former student leader carried no criminal charges against him.

"From the facts available to us, Comrade Adio was the complainant and had no criminal case against him. It is therefore deeply disturbing that the matter was allegedly turned against him through the actions of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the presiding Magistrate," Akinteye stated.

The association described the remand as "judicial rascality, a gross abuse of due process, and a violation of Comrade Adio's fundamental rights," and directed the NANS Joint Campus Committee Chairman for the Ekiti Axis and the National Head of Administration to begin mobilisation immediately.

"Peaceful actions will be taken to demand justice, including lawful protests at the Ekiti State High Court, the Magistrate Court, and the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions until Comrade Adio is released and justice is served," Akinteye said.

In a separate open letter to Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, the state Chief Judge and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, NANS Head of Administration Owolewa Taiwo alleged that Adio had originally approached the court after private footage of him and another adult was circulated on social media without his consent. The association said that proceedings before Magistrate Adeosun deviated from the original cyberbullying complaint, resulting in Adio's remand alongside the defendants until 4 August 2026.

NANS further alleged that prosecution officials argued the university treated parties unequally, a claim the association rejected, noting that Adio's legal team presented records confirming he had been exonerated and reinstated by the university senate before the hearing.

The association demanded the recusal of Magistrate Adeosun, reassignment of the case, an independent review of the remand order and an investigation into the conduct of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of Citizenship Rights, warning that non compliance would prompt a petition to the National Judicial Council.

The Ekiti State Ministry of Justice had not responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.