By joshua Exclusive: Unilorin Lecturer Picked Over Facebook Post On Kogi Road Project Regains Freedom – Arrest Fuels Talk Of Kogi West APC Crack
… By our reporter
A lecturer at the University of Ilorin, Chief Elijah Ola Olorunshua, who was arrested by the police over a social media comment on a Kogi State Government road project, has been released.
The development was confirmed on Wednesday evening by the Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, in a chat with Newsmen.
Olorunshua was reportedly picked up at his residence in Ilorin, Kwara State, in the early hours of Wednesday by a team of policemen said to have been deployed from Lokoja.
According to the State Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (rtd), the lecturer was arrested over a post alleging that the Kabba – Iluke road in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area was a World Bank-funded project and not a State Government project, thereby accusing the Ministry of Works and Housing and the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of falsehood.
Omodara, in an interview, said he reached out to Olorunshua immediately his attention was drawn to the post, urging him to pull it down, but he refused. He, however, denied ordering the arrest, insisting it was ordered by the State Government through the Kogi State Police Command.
He expressed hope that the lecturer would be released “unconditionally” once he publishes disclaimers on his social media handles to correct the alleged misinformation.
The arrest has triggered outrage among citizens and civil society voices, who argue that the appropriate response to criticism of government is clarification, not intimidation.
Social media commentator, Anjie Nishola Kirin, who interviewed Omodara, described community WhatsApp groups as increasingly unsafe for citizens to express views, lamenting that “some people we call friends and families are paid to cyberstalk, forward, screenshot and report every criticism of the government to their ogas at the top.”
Beyond the road project controversy, fresh information has linked the arrest to deepening divisions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi West ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sources alleged that the operation, reportedly carried out by 17 police officers deployed from Lokoja to Ilorin, was connected to Olorunshua’s perceived political alignment with Senator Karimi and his stance on issues surrounding the Kabba-Olle-Iluke road.
It was further alleged that APC members in Kogi West who openly identify with Senator Karimi have been facing intimidation, threats and pressure over their political activities.
The development comes against the backdrop of reported suspension of some APC ward chairmen in Kabba/Bunu and Lokoja LGAs and alleged threats to appointees and party officials for attending town hall meetings organized by Senator Karimi to present his scorecard, where calls were made for his continued representation and support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election.
One case cited was that of the Leader of the Kabba/Bunu Legislative Council, who was allegedly threatened with removal after attending the Kabba town hall meeting.
The arrest of the academic has raised questions about whether internal APC disagreements are spilling into governance and the use of state security apparatus.
As of press time, the Kogi State Police Command is yet to officially confirm details of the deployment and circumstances surrounding the arrest, while all allegations remain subject to confirmation by relevant authorities.