The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Lagos Axis, and the Lagos State University Students’ Union (LASUSU) have heaped praise on the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, AIG Adegoke M. Fayoade, for his swift and decisive intervention in the wrongful arrest of a female LASU student over a false petition filed by her landlord.
The student, who had earlier lodged a formal complaint of harassment and intimidation against her landlord at the Igando Police Division, was forcefully arrested on Friday, July 18, following a petition the landlord filed at Zone 2 Police Command Headquarters, Onikan. 
The petition, now widely considered misleading, was seen as a retaliatory move after the landlord failed to honour repeated police invitations.
“The arrest was both shocking and unjust,” said Comrade Abdul-Raheem Abdul-Quadri, NANS Lagos Chairman. “It’s disturbing that someone could weaponize police channels to harass a student who had done the right thing by reporting through legal means.”
According to student leaders, the incident quickly spread on social media, sparking outrage and calls for justice. Upon receiving a distress alert from LASUSU, NANS Lagos leadership reached out to AIG Fayoade with an urgent plea for intervention. The student was released on bail around 6:00 a.m. the next morning.
But it was the AIG’s follow-up actions that drew the most commendation. On Monday, July 21, AIG Fayoade personally convened a fact-finding meeting, bringing together all stakeholders — the student, her parents, LASUSU officials, senior police officers, and the landlord — to examine the facts. The case has since been referred to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police for independent investigation.
In a joint statement signed by NANS Lagos Chairman, Comrade Abdul-Raheem Abdul-Quadri, and PRO, Comrade Ridwan Ajayi, the student body described Fayoade’s handling of the situation as “fatherly, empathetic, and exemplary.”
“His swift intervention not only prevented a prolonged injustice but also reinforced our trust in the integrity of the police system,” said Ajayi. “This is what leadership should look like — just, responsive, and people-centered.”
LASUSU also hailed AIG Fayoade’s approach, calling it a model for how police officers should engage with students and the public.
“AIG Fayoade didn’t just act fast — he listened, he investigated, and he treated us with dignity. He showed that police officers can lead with both firmness and fairness,” a LASUSU official said.
NANS Lagos further condemned the landlord’s conduct, describing it as a clear abuse of institutional channels for personal vendetta. They called on the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the intent behind the landlord’s petition and urged that such acts of misrepresentation be treated as criminal offenses.
“Nigerian students will not be bullied into silence,” Abdul-Raheem added. “We are prepared to resist every form of intimidation and ensure that no student is made a scapegoat for standing up for their rights.”
The incident has sparked wider conversations about police accountability, abuse of power in tenancy disputes, and the vulnerability of students living off-campus.
But for now, student leaders say AIG Fayoade’s actions offer a refreshing reminder that justice, when backed by integrity, still has champions within the system.
