OAU honours five students killed by cultists 20 years on

The authorities and students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife, will gather at the Amphitheatre of the institution today to mark the 20th anniversary of a cult attack, which claimed the lives of five students.

The attack carried out in the early hours of Saturday, July 10, 1999, led to the death of 21-year-old 400-Level Law student and then Secretary-General of the Students Union, George Iwilade, fondly called Afrika.

Others killed in the attack were Eviano Ekeimu, 400-Level Medicine; Yemi Ajiteru, an extra-year student; Babatunde Oke, 100-Level Philosophy; and Godfrey Ekpede.

Lanre Adeleke, the then students union president, said due to the poor judicial system in Nigeria, the suspects arrested during the attack were later discharged and acquitted without proper prosecution.

Tayo Iwilade, younger brother to George, however, said the pursuit of justice is never over until justice is served.

Chairman of the Great Ife Students Union Action Committee, Dunsi Samuel, and the Chief Security Officer of the institution, Babatunde Oyatokun, told newsmen that the 20-year remembrance “is important to let the public know that OAU community still has zero tolerance for cultism.”

Speakers expected are lawyers, Femi Falana, Jiti Ogunye and Adeola Soetan among others.

Meanwhile, nemesis may have caught up with abductors of an OAU don, Prof. Olayinka Adegbeyingbe, as the Osun State police command said yesterday that it has arrested one of the suspects.

The lecturer was abducted around Apomu axis. The command refused to mention the name of the suspect involved in Adegbeyingbe’s abduction in April, as according to them, they do not want to jeopardise ongoing effort to apprehend others.

Suspects paraded including the one involved in Adegbeyingbe’s abduction are Hussman Ladan from Sokoto, Samaila Gede, Kemu Rejuli from Niger and Jubril Momhammed.