NANS Pays Tribute to Cdr Abiodun Aremu, Describes Late Revolutionary Fighter As ‘Titan of Student Activism, Legendary Figure’

NANS MOURNS THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF COMRADE ABIODUN AREMU: A TITAN OF STUDENT ACTIVISM AND UNYIELDING RIGHTS DEFENDER

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) is profoundly devastated to announce the passing of Comrade Cadre Abiodun Aremu, a legendary figure whose indomitable spirit and unwavering commitment to justice defined an era of fearless student leadership and human rights advocacy. Comrade Aremu’s transition to eternity marks an irreplaceable void in the struggle for equity, dignity, and liberation in Nigeria and beyond. On behalf of the over 40.1 million Nigerian students, NANS President, Comrade Olushola Oladoja, extends his deepest condolences to his immediate family, comrades in the Joint Action Front (JAF), the broader labour movement, and all who were touched by his revolutionary fire.

NANS President, Comrade Olushola Oladoja, noted that Cadre Abiodun Aremu was more than a leader; he was the embodiment of the radical ethos that birthed NANS as a bulwark against oppression. Emerging from the hallowed halls of the University of Lagos during the turbulent “glorious era” of the 1980s and early 1990s, Cadre Aremu cut his teeth in the crucible of campus resistance. As a frontline student activist, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with students, galvanising thousands in the epic battles against tuition fee hikes, a fight that NANS has waged relentlessly since 1978. His strategic brilliance turned student grievances into national reckonings, forcing governments to reckon with the power of organised youth.

NANS reiterates that Cadre Abiodun Aremu’s legacy as a rights activist transcended the ivory towers, evolving into a lifelong crusade for the emancipation of the Nigerian masses. As General Secretary of JAF, the vanguard pro-labour civil society platform, he orchestrated coalitions that amplified the cries of the marginalised. NANS remembers him not as a relic of past glories, but as a living curriculum for today’s generation.

As we bow our heads in grief, NANS declares that Comrade Abiodun Aremu’s flame shall not flicker out. NANS President, Comrade Olushola Oladoja, called on all progressive forces to honour his memory by redoubling efforts in the championing of students’ welfare and the defence of human rights.

Signed: Oyewole Michael Oludare, Chief Press Secretary to the President, NANS‬

‪October 12, 2025

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