Obafemi Awolowo university shut after protest over student’s death

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife has ordered the indefinite closure of the University, following a protest by its students on Friday over the death of , Aisha Adesina, a final year student of Foreign Languages Department of the institution.

Penpushing reports that, Public Relations Officer of the university, Abiodun Olanrewaju made this known in a statement, adding that, while the management understand the feelings of the deceased colleagues, it would not condone any act of violence and misbehaviour.

‘The Management understands the grief after the loss of the student, but will not tolerate the continuous and uncontrolled protest by the students”, which has reportedly led to blocking of highways’, the statement said.

“The Management understands the grief resulting from this untimely death within the community and sympathises with the parents, friends, colleagues and the entire students of the University on this sad loss, and prays for the repose of her soul’, Olanrewaju added.

“However, Management condemns in strong terms the continuous and uncontrolled protests by the students culminating in unbridled brigandage, blocking the Ife/Ibadan and Ife/Ede highways and other adjoining roads that could be used as alternative routes, and engaging in other acts that are detrimental to their health and the safety of the generality of the people,” the statement read.

Penpushing further reports that, Olanrewaju in the statement directed students to vacate their halls of residence in order to return normalcy to the campus, and called on their parents and guardians to call their wards to order.

“Therefore, having exhausted all necessary avenues to call the students to order and allow normalcy to return to the Campus and its environs, the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, have accordingly closed down the School until further notice’.

‘This is to forestall further breakdown of law and order. In view of this, all students are hereby directed to vacate their halls of residence and the Campus latest by 12:00 noon on Saturday, 2nd October, 2021”, the statement declared

Penpushing also reports that, the management added that it has put in place  machinery to unravel the circumstances surrounding the cause(s) of the crisis, while the swearing-in of the newly elected Students’ Union officials has been put on hold, pending a review of the situation.

Meanwhile, it is recalled that, the student was reported to have died at Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Ile-Ife, where she was referred to by the university’s health centre, and her colleagues in reaction to the sad development staged a protest and  blocked the university’s main gate

FOOTNOTE: You want to share story with us? You want to advertise with us? You need publicity for product, or service, or   event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348073463653 or email [email protected]

.