The Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) has threatened to sue media organisations and publishers over reports linking its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joshua Ogunwole, and other senior officials to alleged cybercrime offences.
The university said the reports were damaging the reputation of the Vice-Chancellor and the institution by presenting unproven allegations as facts.
The position was contained in a statement signed by the university’s Registrar, Mufutau Ibrahim, and made available to journalists.
According to the statement, the university’s lawyers are reviewing the publications and will contact the publishers to demand explanations and credible evidence to support their reports.
The university explained that the matter centred on an audio recording that was already circulating publicly before it came to the attention of the institution’s management.
It said neither the university nor the Vice-Chancellor was responsible for making the recording or sharing it publicly.
According to FUOYE, the recording later became an issue within the university, leading to an administrative process in which some people connected to the matter were asked to explain their roles.
The statement added that Ogunwole became involved in the matter because of his responsibilities as Vice-Chancellor.
The university said there was nothing in its records to suggest that he illegally obtained, recorded or altered anyone’s private conversation.