The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Owerri Zone, has condemned the arrest and detention of two executive members of its Imo State University (IMSU) branch while monitoring the ongoing strike at the institution.
The union, in a press statement dated August 12, 2026, identified the affected officials as the branch Vice Chairman, Chinedu Egbuchu, and Investment Secretary, Nnamdi Chibo.
According to ASUU, the two officials were at the Faculty of Media and Communication Studies of IMSU to monitor activities and take notes when they were arrested.
The union said the officials had met the university’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) at the faculty, where examinations were being conducted, adding that there was no altercation or confrontation between them and the PRO.
ASUU alleged that the situation changed when the university’s Chief Security Officer arrived at the scene and took the two officials to the institution’s security building, where police officers were already stationed.
The union said the officials were subsequently questioned and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), where they were detained for more than seven hours before being granted bail.
According to ASUU, the two officials were released on a N1 million bail bond each and directed to return to the State CID on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
Describing the ongoing industrial action at IMSU as legitimate, the union said its branch had fulfilled all the conditions required for the commencement of the strike as approved by its National Executive Council (NEC).
The Owerri Zone linked the strike to the non-implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement at IMSU and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Awka, both state-owned universities within the ASUU Owerri Zone.
The union said it had previously called on the university administrations, governing councils and the respective state governors, as visitors to the institutions, to implement the agreement and avert industrial disharmony.
According to ASUU, its IMSU branch issued a 21-day ultimatum, after which the union undertook a national visitation to the university in an effort to prevent the strike. However, the issues remained unresolved.
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The union therefore called on relevant authorities, particularly the Visitor to IMSU and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, to direct the immediate implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement at the university as a way of ending the strike.
ASUU also warned against what it described as intimidation of its members, stressing that its struggle was aimed at improving the university system and was not targeted at individuals.
Addressing the Vice Chancellor of IMSU, Prof. Uchefula Ugonna Chukwumaeze (SAN), the ASUU Owerri Zone said it would hold him personally responsible if anything happened to any of its members or their family members.
The union urged the university authorities to focus on resolving the issues behind the strike rather than attempting to intimidate its officials.
ASUU reiterated its demand for the immediate implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement to resolve the dispute and end the ongoing strike.
