"We Are Not in Support of Alleged Extremist Group on Campus" - OAU

By Adejumo Kabir

The Dean of Division of Students Affair, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, Professor (Mrs.) Grace Akinola has said that the University is not in support of alleged extremist group on OAU Campus, but rather in support of the only registered group with the division which is Muslim Students' Society of Nigeria, MSSN.

Professor Akinola disclosed this while speaking at the sideline of a retreat organised for newly elected leaders of the OAU Students’ Union. She buttressed that a disciplinary panel has been set up to look into the development of the extremist group on Campus.

She narrated her story when she visited the students mosques. “We first went to Awolowo Mosque, we met some demarcation in the mosque. There was one that we told them to open, they refused. We told them that if they don’t open it, we are going to force it open. After 15 minutes, one of them just made a signal and the place was opened. We went there at exactly 11am.
“When it was opened, we found 12 girls locked there when others (their mates) are in the lecture room. Meanwhile, the MSSN national came and said that was how Boko Haram started in Nigeria . And they came to disown them that they don’t know about any evil they perpetuate. The Muslim Community also disowned them.” she said.

She added that the alleged extremist group are been sponsored by the Federal Government “We made moves to lock the mosque at that time. Even recently, they held a programme without taking permission from the university. Despite that we called them and warned them not to continue with the programme. I think they have people supporting them and one of them is in the current cabinet of President Muhammad Buhari. The university has set up a disciplinary committee to look into the matter. The will have to face disciplinary action and whatever comes out of it will be the final." DSA said.

The Chief Security Officer of the University, Professor B. J Olasode also stated that there is an illegal group in OAU led by one AbdulRasheed Bakare neither registered nor recognised by DSA. He also affirmed that the group has no letter head logo and MSSN constitution.

The CSO, Professor Olasode further revealed that the only registered body of MSSN was the one headed by Akeem Idowu as recognised by the MSSN at all levels from the branch to the national.“Earlier, before the commencement of disclaimer illegal programme, they were invited on Feb 14, 2017 at the instance of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Anthony Elujoba and the riot act was read to them. And despite this, they still bold enough to held the programme, so in view of this, we have reported to the management for further reaction, in which we are waiting for their response. The way they flattered the matriculation oath means they were being indoctrinated and if university fails to expedite action on them, it might degenerate and turn to another thing entirely,” he said.

The Public Relations Officer of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju also contributed to the position of the Dean, Division of Students Affair and that of the Chief Security Officer that only the registered Muslim student group was recognised and permitted to operate within the university.

Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju further blamed some parents for abandoning their children in schools without bothering to check on them and insisted that Boko Haram never came OAU Campus.

Meanwhile, Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Community and University of Ife Muslim Graduates had raised a disclaimer on a factional group of the MSSN earlier this year