Kayode Adams was a student activist at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in the mid-sixties.This was a period when the Federal Government removed Prof. Eni Njoku as the first Vice- Chancellor of the institution and replaced him with Prof Saburi Biobaku. The students’ protested against the decision and in the process, Adams stabbed the new VC when he assumed office in 1965. He was tried by a Lagos High Court and he pleaded insanity as his defence. FRANCIS FAMOROTI, Head, Judiciary reports.
When the Federal Government established UNILAG as one of the second generation universities on October 22, 1962, Eni Njoku, a Professor of Botany with the University of Ibadan was named its first VC. However, after the expiration of Njoku’s three-year term sometimes in 1965, the government in its wisdom announced his removal and replaced him with a renowned historian, Prof. Saburi Biobaku.
As a result, the university community was engulfed in crisis following a dispute between the university’s Senate and the council over the appointment of the new VC. Njoku was eligible for re-appointment but the pro- chancellor of University of Ife (UNIFE), now Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Biobaku was the government’s choice and he was appointed instead.
The UNILAG students were aggrieved. They believed that the government’s decision was laden with ethnic favouritism; they resisted the idea and protested against the action. The students threatened fire and brimstone and asked the then Minister of Education, Chief Richard Akinjide to stop Biobaku from moving near the university. The students were opposed to change in the leadership of the ivory tower.
But the government ignored the students’ threat and vowed that its decision was final, non-negotiable and irreversible.
Having foreclosed the issue, the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa government notified the new VC that he had no cause to fear and the security agencies too assured him of adequate protection on the campus.
In ecstatic mood, Saburi, an Egba- born scholar from Abeokuta, capital of the present day Ogun State relied on the assurances given him by the government to resume at his new duty post, and he made way straight to the VC’s lodge where he dropped his belongings.
Interestingly, he was received by the principal officers of the university and thereafter formally assumed duty at the VC’s office.
On assumption of duty, it was customary for him like any other new VC to address the students and other members of the academic community. He needed to extend his hands of fellowship to them and acquaint them with his plans to move the institution to a greater height.
Against this backdrop, adequate arrangements were made for him to address the students. On the day in question, shouts of Great Akokites! Greatest Akokites! rent the air as students assembled in the university auditorium.
As Saburi mounted the podium of the auditorium in the presence of a large crowd of the students and members of the academic community who looked forward to listen to his inaugural speech, he received more than he bargained for.
Saburi least expected it. A radical student activist identified as Adams surged forward from the crowd and stabbed him on the back, ostensibly in protest against Njoku’s removal.
The VC fell and was promptly rushed to the university medical centre. Adams was immediately arrested by the Police. There was tension in the university and this incident resulted in the closure of UNILAG for months.
According to the 1966 -1 All Nigeria Law Report vol. 13, Adams was eventually charged before a Lagos High Court by the then Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP) of the Federation.
The student activist was arraigned for unlawfully stabbing the VC. He pleaded not guilty and later raised a defence of insanity. At the trial, there was evidence that he acted under an uncontrollable impulse.
In its judgement, the Lagos High Court found Adams guilty of wounding with intent to kill the VC. The court however held that he was not liable for the offence as a result of his defence of insanity under Section 28 of the Criminal Code (CC). He was thus committed to a psychiatric institution pending the pleasure of the President. Adams was confined to Yaba Mental Home in Lagos.
The UNILAG Senate met under the chairmanship of Prof. Horatio Oritshejolomi Thomas, the then Provost of the College of Medicine and agreed to rusticate him from the University. Later, he left the mental home.
Dissatisfied with this verdict, Adams appealed against the decision of the high court and specifically for committing him to custodial order. It was argued on his behalf that he ought to have been discharged by the trial court and not committed to a mental institution.
The appellate court held that once a trial court determined that an accused person was not guilty by reason of insanity, the proper order to be made was remand in safe custody pending the pleasure of the Governor.
The matter went on further appeal to the Supreme Court. Rejecting the argument of the appellant’s counsel, the Supreme Court held that if the accused person was found to have committed an offence as a result of insanity in accordance with sections 229 and 230 of Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), a committal order must follow.
The essence being that the accused person should not to go scot-free. The law required that he should be kept away to prevent further dangers to the society and the state on its part has a duty to ensure that the accused was cured of his aliment.
It is because the consequence of a finding of insanity is a committal order that the defence, though a general defence applicable to all offences, is rarely invoked. The defence of insanity is invoked usually in offences that carry a death penalty such as a murder charge.
Thus, the finding of insanity relieved Adams of criminal liability by virtue of s. 28 CC. Having been committed to a mental institution, his education was abruptly disrupted at UNILAG at the time. The student later made a speedy recovery to sanity and he eventually regained his freedom a good deal sooner than if he had been convicted and sentenced for the act which he committed.
As it were, after Biobaku’s medical treatment, he returned to UNILAG and served his tenure without any further hitch. It was learnt that Adams died mysteriously some years later.
Since that unfortunate incident occurred 49 years ago, the university has never again witnessed any physical attack on its past and present VCs.
In fact, Biobaku left as the UNILAG VC in 1971. Another historian, Prof. Jacob F. Adeniyi Ajayi took over from him and served between 1972 and 1978. Thereafter, Prof. Kwaku Adadevoh was appointed the VC from 1978 to 1980. Prof. Akin Adesola took over in 1981 and served till 1988 when Prof. Nurudeen Alao succeeded him. The later left as VC in 1995. Prof. Jelili Adebisi Omotola became the VC in 1995 and served till 2000 while Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo- Obe took over from him and he completed his term in 2007.
Other VCs are, Prof. Tolu Odugbemi: 2007-2010; Prof. Babatunde Adetokunbo Sofoluwe 2010-2012 and Prof. Rahmon Ade Bello who assumed office in 2012 and he is still occupying the VC ‘s office till date.

I Gbadun This Story Like Crazy

Kanyeti:
Kayode Adams was a student activist at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in the mid-sixties.This was a period when the Federal Government removed Prof. Eni Njoku as the first Vice- Chancellor of the institution and replaced him with Prof Saburi Biobaku. The students’ protested against the decision and in the process, Adams stabbed the new VC when he assumed office in 1965. He was tried by a Lagos High Court and he pleaded insanity as his defence. FRANCIS FAMOROTI, Head, Judiciary reports.

.....A radical student activist identified as Adams surged forward from the crowd and stabbed him on the back, ostensibly in protest against Njoku’s removal. The VC fell and was promptly rushed to the university medical centre. Adams was immediately arrested by the Police. There was tension in the university and this incident resulted in the closure of UNILAG for months.

.... As it were, after Biobaku’s medical treatment, he returned to UNILAG and served his tenure without any further hitch. It was learnt that Adams died mysteriously some years later. Since that unfortunate incident occurred 49 years ago, the university has never again witnessed any physical attack on its past and present VCs.

In fact, Biobaku left as the UNILAG VC in 1971. Another historian, Prof. Jacob F. Adeniyi Ajayi took over from him and served between 1972 and 1978. Thereafter, Prof. Kwaku Adadevoh was appointed the VC from 1978 to 1980. Prof. Akin Adesola took over in 1981 and served till 1988 when Prof. Nurudeen Alao succeeded him. The later left as VC in 1995. Prof. Jelili Adebisi Omotola became the VC in 1995 and served till 2000 while Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo- Obe took over from him and he completed his term in 2007.
Other VCs are, Prof. Tolu Odugbemi: 2007-2010; Prof. Babatunde Adetokunbo Sofoluwe 2010-2012 and Prof. Rahmon Ade Bello who assumed office in 2012 and he is still occupying the VC ‘s office till date.

Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, the doctor who prevented Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American man infected with the deadly Ebola virus from leaving the hospital, and ended his quest to spread the virus in Lagos, was the daughter of former Unilag VC Professor Babatunde Kwaku Adadevoh (deceased) of the Adadevoh family of Anyako Royal House, Ghana and the Crowther/Macaulay family of Lagos, Nigeria and Deborah Regina McIntosh of the Nnamdi Azikiwe (President of Nigeria 1963-1966) and Smith/Wilkey families of Lagos, Nigeria. She gave her life to prevent the death of millions and slipped into eternity on August 19th 2014. May her soul rest in peace.

Professor Akin Adesola who later served 2 terms as VC of Unilag, was said to be the most urbane, charming and approachable VC the institution ever had. Student unrest declined drastically, and his easy-going style endeared him to the students. Peace reigned during his tenure. His successor Professor Nurudeen Alao was the one who came in and sought to "islamise" the school. Under his tenure, the wearing of hijab was launched and Muslim students took an active part in Students' Union activities.

Their religious activities were also given centre stage, and a call was made to segregate the car park of the mosque from the carpark of the chapel. Both buildings stood next to each other, and under Adesola's time, worshippers could park anywhere they wanted. All that changed with Alao. The first casualty of his reign was the Mr. Unilag & Miss Unilag contests, which were suspended without a good reason.

Luckily, his successors and other subsequent VCs were less strict. Prof. Jelili Adebisi Omotola became the VC in 1995 (may his soul rest in peace!) made staff welfare his priority and launched the Unilag Staff Housing Scheme both in Magodo and Awoyaya area in Lekki, during his tenure. Under Prof. Sofoluwe and Prof. Ibidapo-Obe, Unilag car parks were turned into revenue generating schemes under a 'park-and-pay' scheme. Even with the ones that surrounded the hostels. The students found a way round it however. They offered to give the carpark attendants a percentage of the full fee, if they could turn a blind eye to their antics and give them access to a space.

Shops were built on open spaces and efforts were made to increase the number of classrooms and academic blocks. Today, the school is overbuilt and the large expanse of greenery and open spaces have been taken over by different structures. Its' structural beauty is slowly declining and something needs to be done about it.

There is radical and then there is RADICAL!

With the benefit of hindsight it is possible that the issue could have been resolved without violence.

"No be by force, na by sense" - LAGBAJA

It's always good to appreciate and learn from history

The Adadevoh's will always be known as Patriots due to the selfless action of Dr. Stella Adadevoh barring any future action