The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Professor Joshua Ogunwole, has been charged alongside two other individuals over allegations of unlawfully intercepting telephone and computer network data belonging to a university academic, in a development that has added a new legal dimension to the ongoing tensions surrounding the institution’s leadership.
The other defendants are Mufutau Ibrahim and Tajudeen Opoola. The charges were filed by the Inspector-General of Police on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria before the Federal High Court in Lagos, according to a charge sheet obtained by Punch Newspapers.
The prosecution alleges that the defendants conspired to intercept computer data belonging to Dr Adeola Kehinde without authorisation and used technical means to access the transmission of information from her computer network. The allegations have not been established in court, and the defendants remain entitled to the presumption of innocence.
According to the charge sheet, dated October 2, 2026, the alleged offences occurred on August 23 at FUOYE in Ekiti State. The document outlines multiple counts relating to the alleged interception of computer data and the purported modification of information held in the complainant’s computer system or network without lawful authority.
One of the counts accuses the defendants of conspiring to intercept the transmission of Kehinde’s computer data and its contents without authorisation. Another alleges that they deliberately used technical means to intercept the information transmitted through her computer network.
A further count concerns the alleged modification of data held in the complainant’s computer system or network. The prosecution contends that the alleged actions were undertaken without lawful authority.
The charges cite Sections 27(1)(b), 12(1) and 16(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024. Another count accuses the defendants of allegedly abusing their offices and committing an arbitrary act prejudicial to Kehinde’s rights, contrary to Section 104 of the Criminal Code Act.
The charge sheet does not indicate whether the defendants have been arraigned, the pleas they may enter or a date for the commencement of proceedings. Consequently, the specific allegations remain matters for judicial determination.
The case comes against the backdrop of a dispute within the university community that attracted national attention in September, when staff members and students gathered at Ogunwole’s residence in Ado-Ekiti following an alleged police attempt to arrest him.
At the time, the Vice-Chancellor told journalists that officers had arrived at his official residence early in the morning and said they possessed a warrant. He questioned the basis for the proposed arrest and maintained that the matter could have been handled through a formal invitation.
Ogunwole linked that earlier incident to a petition allegedly involving individuals connected with the university, including former Vice-Chancellor Professor Abayomi Fasina and former Dean of the Faculty of Law, Dr Kehinde Adeola. He also said the dispute involved an audio recording and that related matters had been taken to court.
FUOYE’s Director of Public Affairs and Communication, Dr Sunday Saanu, had criticised the police action surrounding the September incident, maintaining that the Vice-Chancellor had previously honoured a police invitation. Members of the university’s academic and non-academic workforce also expressed support for Ogunwole during that episode.
The latest charges introduce specific allegations concerning the interception of computer data and the alleged alteration of information. However, the available charge-sheet report does not establish the full evidential basis of the prosecution’s case or determine the defendants’ responses to the allegations.
The distinction is important because criminal charges represent allegations that must be tested through the judicial process. The prosecution will be required to establish the relevant elements of the alleged offences, while the defendants will have the opportunity to respond through their legal representatives.
The case also draws attention to the importance of digital privacy and the protection of computer systems within higher education institutions. Universities routinely handle sensitive academic records, personnel information, communications and administrative data, making lawful access and appropriate safeguards essential to institutional governance.
As proceedings develop, attention will focus on the court’s handling of the charges, the evidence presented by the prosecution and any defence put forward by the three defendants.
For the university community, the legal process will be closely watched amid the wider institutional tensions surrounding the matter. A transparent determination of the allegations will be important both for the individuals involved and for confidence in the handling of disputes within Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
The Nigeria Education News will continue to follow the case and report verified developments, including any arraignment, court proceedings and responses from the defendants or the university management.
