The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as well as the Bauchi State University, Gadau, have cried out over the detention of the zonal chairman of the Union, Adamu Babayo, by men of the Department of State Security (DSS).
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This was revealed in a press conference on Sunday where the Vice Chairman of ASUU ATBU zone, Ibrahim Maina, condemned the action of the security agency.
Mr. Maina revealed during the press conference that the zonal chairman had been invited to the headquarters of the DSS in the state where he was detained upon honoring the invitation.
The statement issued by the zonal chapter of ASUU read;
“The ASUU Chairman, Adamu Babayo was invited through a Short Service Message (SMS) which is not a formal way of invitation.
On Friday he received a text message requesting him to report to the DSS office in Bauchi on Sunday. He went to the office together with some of the executives of the association.
The DSS operatives requested other members of his entourage to leave and detained him in their office.”
The zonal vice-chairman went on to querry the action of the DSS saying;
“Let them explain to us why he was detained. That will give us the idea of what needs to be done.
If the detention is in connection with the ongoing strike; it is a nationwide strike embarked on by the universities in the country and not a peculiar or personal problem. What wrong have we done by pressing for our rights through the strike?”
The zonal vice chairman maintained that industrial action is the right of a worker as enshrined in the civil service act, which enable workers to press home their demands.
An official of the DSS however denied the allegations leveled against the agency by the union insisting that Mr. Babayo was not detained but invited to answer some questions.
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