Students Attacked by Police

On Sunday last week, some students of Obafemi Awolowo were arrested in town, six of them four ladies and two guys in Modakeke where they stay. They slept at the police station for the night but we got the information on Monday morning the president of the student union and the welfare officer went down to Akarabata station where those persons were taken to. When they got to the place they were told that they had already transferred the students to the head quarter in Modakeke, so when the President and the Welfare officer Christopher Kris were about leaving the place when the policemen on duty started threatening them with guns so the president, Paul Alaje now called the P.R.O Adelu James to mobilize students to the second police station so that our students would be released. The PRO mobilized students and some other union officers also led the students down to the Nigerian police divisional unit Modakeke. On getting there the first thing we wanted to do was to ascertain the reason why those persons were arrested but when we got there they had already released the students.

Reporting to Campuslife, The General Secretary of the students’ union, Tiawo Thomson said, ‘The police officer that we met on duty gave an excuse of mistaken identity we already understood that it was a mistaken of identity. We then told them that we understand that it is a case of mistaken identity, but the Nigerian police must apologize to those students they were unlawfully arrested and unlawfully dealt with but the first information that we got was that somebody in town who stays were this students stay insulted a member of the vigilante and as a result of that the vigilante consulted with the police to arrest our students because they were beaten, that the students must be given medical attention and that such should repeat itself again.’

Students headed for the palace of the king of Modakeke and made their demands, he appealed to the students that he said he will stick to them at all times that he would see what he could do in other to make sure such occurrence never come up again and he gave them 2000 naira to fuel our buses.

Another eye witness, Asaju Olanrewaju said, ‘While we were leaving we were told that one of our students has been detained in Akarabata police station again, so we passed that rout to ascertain the authenticity of that report. We got to the place only to discover that the police officers on duty had fled. More so, none of our students was there. While we were leaving we heard sounds of gun shots and teargas so we looked back to actually ascertain what was going on, then we discovered that the police officers had already gone to mobilize the indigenes of Modakeke against us. In other to avoid casualty we retreated and we withdrew our students from the troubled spot. We came back to the campus and barricaded the gates (the road in front of the gate) the reason we did this was to send a signal and message to people that are really concerned because police brutality has been on the rise for so many years even this is not the first time they will be doing such a thing we have reported similar cases and the excuse they keep giving us is that such acts are being performed by the rank and files in the police. Why we barricaded the road four hours was that the road leads to Abuja, Lagos and some other places and we attracted some personalities. They came down to us they are able to talk to us. Those people that came around actually appealed to students the president of the union also appealed to the students and the students left the barricade the road was open and vehicles were able to pass all this things were done peacefully and very constructive and you know a way that is already known by our union.

Adie Moses a 200 level student of Physical Health Education said, “It is pathetic that rather than our country to be progressing, we are retrogressing. Our security men are ensuring that citizens are insecure and make indiscriminate use of Guns. No little thanks to the beautiful display of maturity by OAU students, because if we had waited probably we will be counting death which may result in closure which is the last thing any Ife student wants to hear. Ugly event but well managed by the students.




CULTISTS BEATEN

On Sunday three cultists were arrested but while we where trying to release our students that were arrested on Monday, one of the cultists ran away. We later paraded the remaining ones on campus after interrogations the slim one claimed he was initiated into BLACK AXE by his friend who told him that the was going to a party on February 9. He consented to follow his friend to the party but while they drove along Parakin lane, his friend parked the car and told him that he wants to smoke. ‘I responded to my friend that I don’t smoke and he asked me to follow him into the bush. On getting into the bush, he started beating me and I was badly battered, and I allowed myself to be initiated.

Speaking with the Gist, the Secretary General of the Students’ Union Taiwo Thomson said, ‘The truth is that they have both confessed to the crime and the students’ union of Obafemi Awolowo University has Zero Tolerance for cultism and as such we cannot but remember the death of our fallen heroes who were murdered by cultists. After the parade they were hand over to the security unit. We are not scared of them, and Ife is not a place for them.


Afolabi Oni

08036126690

oniafolabidteacher@gmail.com