A routine trip to see off a family member at a railway station in Ibadan ended in an alleged assault on a University of Ibadan Academic, with two employees of the Nigerian Railway Corporation now in police custody over the incident.
Dr. Mikail Abdulsalam, a lecturer in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Ibadan, had driven to the Obafemi Awolowo Railway Station to drop off his sister, who was travelling to Lagos by rail. Witnesses say that shortly after he stopped his vehicle at the premises, he was confronted and attacked by the staff of the corporation, despite showing no aggression.
The matter was reported to the Moniya Division of the Nigeria Police Force in Ibadan, which moved swiftly. Officers from the division arrested two suspects on Wednesday. A third individual allegedly involved in the incident fled and remains at large.
Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer Olayinka Ayanlade confirmed the arrests, stating, "The suspects are in custody. Two of them. The third suspect ran away."
The incident has prompted concern among observers, particularly given that the victim is a member of Academic staff at one of Nigeria's most established Universities. That a visit to a public transport facility could result in an unprovoked attack on a University lecturer raises questions about conduct and oversight at the station that the ongoing investigation will need to address.
