The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has sounded the alarm over what it described as the “nefarious and atrocious” activities of a rogue police unit, known as the Dragon Squad, allegedly operating under the command of DSP Akeem Adeyemi in Ogun State.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by NANS National President, Ladoja Olushola, the student body accused the squad of harassing, detaining, and extorting students and youths in Abeokuta under the guise of targeting internet fraudsters, commonly referred to as “Yahoo Boys”.
According to NANS, the Dragon Squad claims to be acting on the authority of the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Police, Zone 2, based in Onikan, Lagos, and has established an illegal detention facility in Laderin Estate, Abeokuta, where innocent citizens are held for weeks without trial.
The statement read: “These policemen have turned Abeokuta into their workshop. They carry out dirty jobs and extort youths and students. In fact, NANS was reliably informed that a sum of N1.5 million was collected from a male victim last week.”
NANS also alleged that the squad is being used as a tool of oppression by land grabbers, particularly in the Ita Oshin and Oke Ata communities, where they are accused of aiding violent property takeovers.
Olushola noted with concern that DSP Adeyemi had previously served in disbanded units such as SARS and the Zonal Intervention Squad, which were notorious for rights abuses. He accused the officer of reviving the same brutal tactics that led to nationwide protests in 2020.
Despite multiple complaints to the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, the activities of the Dragon Squad have reportedly continued unchecked, as DSP Adeyemi claims to report only to the AIG in Lagos, making local oversight difficult.
NANS has vowed to take action if the Inspector General of Police fails to intervene. The body announced plans to stage massive protests starting Wednesday at the Zone 2 Police Headquarters in Lagos, and will march to the Office of the IGP, the National Assembly, SGF, and Police Service Commission in Abuja next week.
“We call on the IGP not to allow DSP Adeyemi and his cohorts to become a law unto themselves. We will resist any form of abuse, harassment, or extortion against our members,” the statement added.
NANS reaffirmed that while it does not support criminality among students, it will stand firmly against illegal operations and rights violations by any security agency.
