Embattled Vice-Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, 
MOUAU, Professor Francis Otunta has opened another front in his battle for 
survival, by going after perceived opponents and other members of staff 
he is not comfortable with. Since early this year, the VC
has been battling students who petitioned anti-corruption agencies accusing him of fraud.

 His latest victim is the hard-working, youthful acting Chief Security
Officer, CSO of the institution, Churchill Chinomso Ekedo.

 Ekedo, a pioneer graduate of MOUAU who was deployed to the Security
Department in 2013, rose from the position of Deputy CSO to emerge
acting CSO on May 24, 2016.

 Besides his latest face-off with students, Theledgerng.com gathered
that Prof. Otunta,  since his emergence as VC in 2016 had not been comfortable
with Ekedo's self confidence  and popularity on campus and had been
searching for his replacement.

 He finally achieved his aim by employing retired Deputy Superintendent
of Police, Mr Mark Agwu as the new CSO, and redeployed Ekedo to work as
the deputy CSO. 

 Ekedo however declined and preferred to be re-deployed to the Engineering
Department where he was initially employed before his secondment to Security.

 Ekedo was reportedly seconded to Security as a result of his indepth knowledge 
of the University community and surrounding communities, plus his passionate
crusade against confraternity groups in the institution. 

 Security under his watch was taken to another level earning him the respect
and confidence of the university community, even though Otunta maintains a
minority opinion.

 Sources from the University told theledgerng.com that Ekedo working with 
minimal  funding was able to stabilise security situation on campus and 
kept cult groups at bay even when other tertiary institutions in Abia
were held at ransome by cultists. 

 However another source from the university argued that Ekedo's
redeployment was a mere administrative procedure and has nothing to
do with witchhunting.

 Thelederng.com gathered that since the National Association of Nigerian
Students, NANS protested against Otunta accusing him of corruption 
and abuse of office.

 During the protest led by NANS President,  Chinonso Obasi, the students stormed the offices of  the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC;  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Federal  Ministry of Education,  where they presented copies of their petition against Otunta and urged that he be investigated  for  fraudulent contracts he  awarded the Rector of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana.

 The VC, the protesters alleged has pending fraud case instituted against him at the Federal High Court, Abakaliki. They further accused the  VC of extorting  N4,000 from students for campus shuttle and  compulsory N5,000 levies for Information Communication Technology, ICT.