₦airaland Forum

pomporiking:

philaw:
At between 3-3.30am (now 10th July 1999) a large number of cultists (reported to be between 22 and 40) of the confraternity arrived to carry out a preplanned assault on the university with the intention of carrying out the assassinations of several prominent members of the student union. Allegations that these assassinations were sponsored by the university's Vice Chancellor Wale Omole remain to this day but it is unclear if this is the case. It is said "one of the cultists, Kazeem Bello, aka Kato, confessed that Wale Omole had a hand in their July 10 dastardly operation."

Upon arriving at the university the cultists "drove through the main gate and proceeded to the car park next to the Tennis Courts in the Sports Center. They disembarked there and went on foot along a bush path to Awolowo Hall, where they violently interrupted the gyration, firing guns and also wielding axes and cutlasses."

Although the order of the events that followed vary from account to account (in terms of who was killed in what order) it is clear that following the assault 4 people were left dead, another died from gunshot wounds later, one more survived from a gunshot wound and "Twenty-five others received minor injuries, which were sustained during the stampede out of the Awolowo Hall cafeteria and later on during the attack."

The Mirror Online reports "The victims, which included the then Students’ Union Secretary General, George Yemi Iwilade, (fondly called Afrika); 400 level medical student, Eviano Ekelemu; a graduating student, Yemi Ajiteru; 100-Level Philosophy student, Babatunde Oke, and Ekpede Godfrey were gunned down by the “marauding beasts” in Blocks 5 and 8, Awolowo Hall." Prof. Roger Makanjuola writes: "Tunde Oke was still alive but died on the operating table. Four others, George Iwilade, Yemi Ajiteru, Efe Ekede and Eviano Ekelemu, were brought in dead. Eviano Ekelemu bled to death from gunshot wounds to the groin and thigh. The other three died from gunshot wounds to the head."

During the attack several accounts state the members were heard to be "shouting, “Legacy, come out!”" referring to the suspended Students’ Union President, Lanre Adeleke. Additional targets of the attacks are described also. Prof. Roger Makanjuola's account states the same and he also writes: "During the course of the incident, the attackers also shouted the names of “Afrika”, George Iwilade, and “Dexter”, the Chief of the Kegites, demanding that they come out."

Of the targets of the massacre Lanre Adeleke (Legacy) managed to escape by jumping from a balcony after hearing the gunfire. “Dexter”, the Chief of the Kegites, also escaped unharmed. George Iwilade (Afrika), the Secretary-General of the Students’ Union and a Law student was not so lucky. Upon entering his room the "shot him immediately in the head. Then they smashed his head with their axe to make sure he was dead".

It is reported George Iwilade (Afrika) was the only successfully assassinated victim. "Afrika, who was said to have carried out the arrest (relating to the incident on Saturday, 7 March 1999), was mercilessly butchered while the other four were just unfortunate victims"

[b]Prof. Roger Makanjuola gives the order of events as been: "They first entered Room 184, where they shot and killed Efe Ekede, a Part II Psychology student. In Room 230, they shot Charles Ita, a Part II Law student. A group of the attackers then shot Yemi Ajiteru, a Part II Religious Studies student, through the head in the corridor outside the Kegites’ headquarters. In Room 273, they found George Iwilade (Afrika), the Secretary-General of the Students’ Union and a Law student, and shot him through the head, along with another occupant, Tunde Oke, a Part 1 student of Philosophy, who was shot in the abdomen. When the attackers got to Room 271, the room allocated to the suspended Students’ Union President, Lanre Adeleke (Legacy), they found that he had escaped. Legacy was in his room when he heard the first gun shots..... The band of thugs proceeded to Fajuyi Hall on foot, where they shot and killed one more student. That individual, Eviano Ekelemo, a medical student, was certainly not a student activist, but they shot him anyway.". However the order in which the victims were killed varies in various testimonies by a number of witnesses.[/b]

Prof. Roger Makanjuola's account of the cultist's escape is"The murderers left Fajuyi Hall on foot and went through the bush path behind the Hall back to their vehicles. They drove to the Students’ Union building, which they ransacked. They returned to their vehicles and drove out of the University through the main gate. The security staff, having heard gunfire, fled for their lives. Thus the exit of the marauding thugs was unchallenged."

Aftermath
The day after the attack it is reported "President Adeleke presided over an assembly in the enormous amphitheater of Oduduwa Hall; he demanded the immediate resignation of Wole Omole, the loathed vice chancellor who impeded student efforts to eliminate cults (Omole, for example, failed to expel the previously apprehended eight cultists). An award of 10,000 naira ($100 U.S.) was offered for Omole’s capture and hundreds of students occupied the administration building, refusing to leave until Omole was fired."

Prof. Roger Makanjuola writes of what followed the massacre: "In the aftermath of the attack, the whole university was enveloped in fear and there was chaos in the halls of residence. However, within a short time, the President of the Students’ Union, Lanre Adeleke, was able to restore order and mobilise his colleagues. The students went to the town searching for the perpetrators in locations where cult members were thought to be living. They “arrested” three individuals and brought them back to Awolowo Hall. These were Aisekhaghe Aikhile, a Part I student of Agricultural Economics, Emeka Ojuagu, and Frank Idahosa (Efosa). Efosa and Ojuagu were arrested in a public transport vehicle that was about to leave Ife. [24]

The students exhibited black clothing, two berets and two T-shirts, that had been found in Ojuagu’s bag, which was claimed to be the uniform. Efosa was a known member of the . He had been expelled from the University of Benin and was later admitted for a diploma programme in Local Government Studies in Ife. The three of them were savagely beaten and tortured in the Awolowo Hall “Coffee Room”, the traditional venue for such events. The inverted commas have been employed because coffee had not been known to be served there for many years. Efosa and Oguagu are said to have confessed to participating in the attacks during their “interrogation”, and Efosa is said to have gone further to state that the attack was organised to avenge the humiliating treatment of the members who had been arrested in Mr. Mekoma’s house on 7 March.

In the course of the interrogation, Aisekhaghe Aikhile died, and his body was taken to the hospital mortuary. The interrogations also yielded the information that 22 members were involved, six from the University, four from the University of Lagos, four from the University of Ibadan, and eight from the University of Calabar. There was also a separate claim that more students from the University of Benin were also involved. [26]

The VC, Professor Wale Omole, had been out of the country on 10 July 1999, the day of the attack and in his absence, the Deputy VC (Academic), Professor A.E. Akingbohungbe, was in charge. Soon after his arrival, the VC was summoned to Abuja to give a report of the incident the day after he returned to campus. On 14 July, his suspension was announced by the Government."

Several days later on the 18th July 1999 Prof. Roger Makanjuola was appointed Vice Chacellor and as replacement to Professor Wale Omole. He promised the students of Obafemi Awolowo University he would do everything in his power to bring the perpetrators to justice. Firstly he visited the Commissioner of Police, Mr. J.C. Nwoye, in Osogbo who raised the issue that the university still hadn't officially reported the murders despite what he said had been repeated requests. Prof. Roger Makanjuola summarily wrote and submitted the required paperwork officially reporting the murders. [28]

Prof. Roger Makanjuola gives the following account of what followed: "A total of 12 individuals were arrested and charged to court over the three weeks following the murders, including Efosa and Ojuagu. Only one of those involved in the March episode was among those arrested. The other eight could not be located. Two of them had obtained their transcripts and resumed their studies in France. The students brought information on the whereabouts of a major suspect, Babatunde Kazeem (Kato), and we provided a vehicle so that the Police could go with the students to the address in Lagos and arrest him. Kato was a former student who had been “advised to withdraw” from the University as a result of academic failure. He had been apprehended by the Students’ Union in August 1997 when he admitted to being a secret cult member. He was subsequently handed over to the Security Department, but there is no record of what happened after that. We also provided the Police with information on three other individuals, “Innocent”, “Yuletide” and “Ogbume.” Sadly, nothing came of this, even though we provided Ogbume’s address in Victoria Garden City, Lagos. The arrested persons were charged to the Ile-Ife Magistrate’s court for the murders.

The Judicial Commission of Enquiry was eventually inaugurated in Abuja on 18 October, but did not start work until 24 November, and eventually arrived in the University on Sunday, 28 November. The Chairman was Justice Okoi Itam. There were six other members, including Professor Jadesola Akande, an experienced and highly respected academic and university administrator, and Ray Ekpu, the journalist. Ms. Turi Akerele was later deployed as legal counsel to the Commission. A flamboyant but highly capable alumnus, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, led a team representing the students.

The Commission’s report was submitted in February 2000 and was released, along with the Government’s white paper, later that year. The Commission expressed its strong belief that seven named individuals had participated in the killings—Frank Idahosa (Efosa), Didi Yuletide, Kazeem Bello (Kato), and four individuals who were identified only by their nicknames or Christian names—Innocent, Athanasius, “Ochuko”, and “Chunk.” The last was identified as the then head of the secret cult. The Commission also recommended the investigation of 16 other individuals, including Emeka Oguaju and the nine involved in the 7 March episode. The Panel criticised the police investigation of the case and recommended that the Inspector-General of Police should set up a special task force to take it over.

the cases against those charged in the Chief Magistrate’s Court for belonging to an illegal organisation eventually came to nothing. However, we were very hopeful of a successful prosecution of the murder cases against Efosa and company. The case in the Osogbo High Court, which commenced on 9 April 2001, wound on. Evidence for the prosecution was taken from a number of students and some other witnesses. There was adjournment after adjournment. In mid-2002, the Judge hearing the case was transferred to Iwo, and the case along with it. There was a further delay while the exhibits were also subsequently taken to Iwo. To the amazement of everyone, the Judge upheld a “No Case” submission by the defence on 5 November 2002. The three accused persons were released and they subsequently disappeared…"

In 2009 it was reported: "Ten years after the carnage, the relatives and associates of the victims as well as students of OAU are still crying out for justice."
Who was responsible

The attack was carried out by members of the of Africa aka The . A confraternity infesting Nigerian society particularly the country's universities and responsible for large amounts of violent crime. Many reports exist of the ill-effects cultism has on Nigerian society. One such report states: "(Cults) have brutally ravaged Nigeria’s 37 state-run institutions. The massacre at Obafemi Owolowe University (OAU) is only the most recent tragedy; observers estimate that 150 students have been slain in the last five years, with scores more victimized by rape, assault, extortion, kidnapping, blackmail, torture and arson attack. Cultists — who often emulate the music and attitudes of American street-gang culture — dominate several campuses with intimidation tactics. Sometimes they employ threats of murder or extortion for seemingly petty ransoms, like an “A” grade or a fraudulently written term paper. Unprotected students, professors and administrators are often forced to surrender whatever grades, goods and privileges that the cultists demand."

Today, in 2015, the is still an ongoing problem. Responsible for the involvement in the murders of at least 200 people in 2014 and partaking other criminal activities around the world such as international smuggling of drugs, extortion, human trafficking and prostitution, counterfeiting of identity documents, cloning of credit cards, cheque fraud, 419 fraud, robbery, rape, murder and are used by politicians as 'hired thugs'. In Italy they have recently been classified as a 'Mafia' organisation.

In addition to those directly responsible, the carrying out the attack, there is ongoing concern over the effect or indeed sponsorship by the other entities and individuals possibly involved. In addition to the alleged sponsorship of the attack by Vice Chancellor Professor Wale Omole it is believed that also the government, the police and judiciary were complicit in either motivating the massacre, allowing the favorable environment for the massacre to have happened and for allowing those involved to escape any prosecution.

neoapocalypse:
I remember the incident and Yemi Iwilade aka Africa , he was always dressed in Ankara ( I guess that was why he was called Africa ) , I visited a friend of mine then in OAU in 1998 , Ahmed Shittu , I was in U.I then. I met Africa and he struck me as a very intelligent fellow , years later and I'm still to come to grips with their mindless murder. R.I.P great Africa

tchidi:
When I clicked 'modify', I saw the cults name. Its Blâçk Axê. The mods are hiding it.

optional123:
from wat i read up there...prof makanjuola or wateva u call im should also be arrested

erico2k2:
No gains being in a cult, I have 4 good friends who where cultist, one of them got mad jumped i nto the river from a bridge and died, the other got stroke in swizz,flew back to Nigeria and i don't know if he is still alive ,that was 3 years ago, the other two became pastors as they gave their lives to God and are doing OK

segedoo:
Shittu was a classmate of mine.

Fringes:
Dr 3As of OAU IFE, is that you? I mean is this your Nairaland moniker?

Awon eeyan niyen. Ekun!

Where are you now and how are you doing? * I also read medicine at Ife and the last time I saw you at a' struggle' on campus, you were leading songs and upping the ante during the very first Aluta I experienced as an undergraduate.

HemHem was the president then and I remember you 'vibrating' massively as you rallied the troops that morning. The protests then were over the non-release of results. It eventually ended weeks after in Laketu's death and Olowokandi's brief expulsion.

3As Baba. It was pleasant to hear the you finally got inducted in 2009 or 2010. I doff my hat Chief. Remain strong and please don't sell out.

A lot of then-active unionists have eventually sold out to politicians when unemployment realities probably hit them hard. I found it improbable reading DSM's 2004 Secretary General Candidate * INTERVENTION*, for example, aggressively supporting and endorsing Goodluck Jonathan all over the internet during the run up to the Presidential Elections!

I was shell shocked! A DSM chief endorsing a capitalist and clueless government


*I never participated in Student Union politics but watched it all from the sidelines.*

GREATEST IFE!

segedoo:
Was to have MEE303 test that fateful morning and had stayed over in an Office in White House to read overnight. We heard gunshots, only to hear the horror story later.

RIP Afrika.
I remember him always on afropuffs and clad in native. Sometimes, he rolled the sleeves of his natives.

Greatest Ife!!
3ace
gunvi
rotimi47
jesusDway
onyxo76
2rivers
charlie009
hikmojj
jayfolarin

@PrinceMario
chemenger?

optional123:
from wat i read up there...prof makanjuola or wateva u call im should also be arrested

ayodiya:
Why is the poster protecting d name of the confraternity?

bigboy1010:
Jesus! I'm a freshman hoping to resume at OAU in four days time. I'm so afraid right now.

Bimffo:
Yes! You are very correct! School these days are full of Ajebos.. We dont like wahala.

rheether:
Wole Soyinka, see what you caused..

lofty900:
can't believe I read the whole episode! reminds me of the day cultists drag one final year guy out of the exam hall in broad daylight in our presence and axed him on his head and he died on the spot. Later we discovered that he was also a cultist.

If u r a cultist reading this, the thunder that will fire u is undergoing brainwashing in Yemen

Bro, this is evulz

MizMyColi:
Bro, this is evulz

3ace:
Phew! *heaves a sigh of relief* The day I ran like Ben Johnson into the thick, dark forest of OAU without thinking of the danger ahead. I mean what other danger can be brutal as the one I was running away from. Now 16 years and it seems like yesterday. May their soul rest in peace. I just hope Faro and Legacy are doing great. They both escaped death by a whisker.

gunuvi:
How time flies. I was at the Kegite gyration that night and chief dexter and myself were AB chiefs then but God saved me. Ill forever missed Afrika. It is well.

mohioma:
I remembered this sad event 16yrs ago. I attended the burial and cried my eyes out. The shock killed one of the victim's mum. Rip to the dead, the perpetrators will NEVA go unpunished if they like run to the moon, their generation will share from the pain that would be unleashed!

willynilly87:
I was in Awo hall that day, the OP account is tru. I left school for three weeks. I saw it life, very bad day. Don't want to remember it again.

fellory:
Where should i Start from?I occupied a room on the first floor of block 7.When the first shot rang out i recoiled on my bed and thought it was from the gyrating kegites.But as more shots were fired i became aware That Armageddon was here!!!Cultist in Ife? Impossible!..............After what seemed like 30 mins i emerged from the bush with others.My friends were already looking for me and crying.July 1999 Will always with me.

segedoo:
Was to have MEE303 test that fateful morning and had stayed over in an Office in White House to read overnight. We heard gunshots, only to hear the horror story later.

RIP Afrika.
I remember him always on afropuffs and clad in native. Sometimes, he rolled the sleeves of his natives.

Greatest Ife!!
3ace

rotimi47
jesusDway
onyxo76
2rivers
charlie009
hikmojj
jayfolarin

@PrinceMario
chemenger?