The authorities of Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria, has suspended the studentship of a part three Law student, Lawal Toheeb, for failure to attend the university’s imposed numerous chapel activities.

In a letter of suspension, signed by the school registrar, Mr. Oyerinde Caleb Oyejola JP, that was handed over to the affected student on 10th December, 2019, the university says, inter alia, ‘The President/Vice-Chancellor considered the report of the Students’ Disciplinary Committee that found you guilty of gross disrespect to Constituted Authority. The Vice-Chancellor subsequently approved that you should be suspended from all academic activities in the University for One Semester to commence second semester of 2019/2020 academic session in line with the sanction in the Students’ Handbook…’.

Lawal Toheeb was invited to face the disciplinary committee on 3rd Decemeber, 2019, at the Senate Building of the school, that has persons like Pastor Andrew Emuroutu, Mrs. Omije; the Chief Security Officer of the School, Mr. Kola Ojetoye; Professor Oguntoyinbo Atere, the Dean of Students’ Care; as members. The Panel was chaired by the school registrar, Mr. Oyerinde Caleb Oyejola.

According to Lawal Toheeb, all his pleas to the panel that he is a Muslim fell on their deaf ears. He said they all alluded to the fact it was a mandatory rule of the school that all students must attend the chapel services.

The school Sabbath Worship takes place 8-45am to 9-15am on Saturdays, so also in the evenings of Wednesdays and Saturdays, as contained in page 49 of the student’s handbook.

This website confirmed that the Sabbath activities on Saturdays used to end by 12 noon, while the ones in the evening of Wednesdays are till sunset.

The Handbook states, ‘careful preparation should be made for the Sabbath especially on Friday before sundown: clothes and shoes to be worn on Sabbath should be made ready between (5:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.).’

‘The following are activities that are in harmony with the spirit of the Sabbath observance: (a) Attending religious services, (b) Maintaining reverence during the worship, (c) enjoying church fellowship,’ the Handbook also states.

In our investigation, the school operates a merit/demerit system for obedience or disobedience to the various rules and regulations of the school among which is compulsory attendance of chapel services where the Seventh Day Church doctrines such as singing, dancing, preaching and host of other activities, hold sway. There are a number of chapels such as Shalom Chapel, Salvation Chapel, Grace Chapel, Praise Chapel, Peace Chapel, etc., that all the students have been grouped.

Non-attendance of chapel programme attracts a 10-point demerit, which was formerly a 5-point, according to our findings. A student who has amassed between 10 and 60 points of demerits may be asked to carry out a community service such as sweeping the floor of the surroundings, cutting the grass, cleaning the gutters, or other dirty jobs, all in the university arena. But at any point above 60 demerits, the student will be summoned to face a disciplinary panel from where he can be suspended and eventually expelled from the school if he is returned and does not comply with the law of compulsory chapel attendance.

However, according to Lawal Toheeb, in his personal report he forwarded to this website, ‘The genesis significantly began at a screening interview held on the 3rd of November 2017 where I appealed to the board that I am not willing to compromise my religion by attending the Sabbath worship.’

‘I said, ‘I hope there is a concession for me’. However, it was the Students Care Dean’s voice I heard first, remarking that ‘No! If you refuse to abide by the law of the land then be ready to be expelled from this school,’’ he said further.

‘The school exercises continued and my artless mind remained in trauma… I had to attend the chapel worships every Wednesday evening and Saturday, morning and evening. Then a week soon came that the attendance ran on for a whole week and no days were spared. When present in the service, we were obliged to throw all worries behind and ‘stand with those who stood’. ‘to sit as others did’ they would not mind if we clapped along also. They would always ask for that and persuade us to close eyes as they pray.’

‘Each day we were found unyielding, they would seize our cards and scare us with demerit points or community services.

'I was once caught in my room by the Hall officers on a Sabbath morning and dragged to the security post. ‘I’m a Muslim’ I objected but they were always gutsy and swift to reply ‘other Muslims are there.’ I found my way back in having spent about an hour loitering aimlessly around the Security Post awaiting sanction.’

In the tail end of the report, the student wrote: ‘Earlier this semester, I faced Disciplinary Committee on charges of the non-attendance of Sabbath worships and not appearing before the panel back then. I explained again, ‘I am a Muslim and I hold a different belief and that I once appeared back then too but left for exams’ but they were indifferent.

Then the officers came for me yesterday about 4:pm and was led to the CSO who asked, if you would be indifferent why did you remain here? And I frankly replied ‘I never knew it is Zero Tolerance if I don’t compromise’. He couldn’t say anything to it. Asked me to be taken to the Senate for the letter.

And just yesterday sir, I was served a suspension letter by Mrs. Ajayi on those charges for a full semester commencing January (I have attached the suspension letter) also.’ End of quote.

Meanwhile, the school has always claimed that it does not force the Muslim students to attend church services in the school, in a statement credited to the Vice Chancellor of the school, Professor Samuel Ekundayo Alao, that appeared in an interview he granted a newspaper outfit of the school, Adeleke Star, in its November 18, 2019, edition, he said, ‘such malicious rumour cannot be spread by Muslim students in the institution who are enjoying the freedom to practice their religion and other benevolent acts of the institution.’ The newspaper also alluded to him as saying that the large number of students in the school are well treated.

Many other Muslim students who do not wish that their names be published for fear of possible backlash from the school authorities have said the VC is being economical with the truth. For instance, some of them cited an instance of forbiddance of observance of Muslim daily prayers in the school. They said attempts to use makeshift places for prayers have always been met with harsh actions from the agents of the school. They say the school only makes a-once-in-a-week political Jumaht attendance at Adeleke mosque in the town, a case of spoiling the students for six days and trying to show the world they are well treated for just a day, this investigation discovers.

It would be recalled that this website carried the story of a female Muslim student who had to leave the university when she was refused the use of Hijab. There are many other cases of Muslim students leaving the school in the face of intimidation.

To an outside world, Adeleke University depicts the look of a secular private university but which findings have shown is doctrinally a Seventh Day Adventist Church University

Source: https://www.simplysalafiyyah.com/news-r.php?id=26&adeleke-university-suspends-muslim-student-for-church-non-attendance&fbclid=IwAR0axpOm_xOXnI3YhXqF8-pXCJFF9tjb8-ks3Ee0gSS0TOFvrxgcT6e92xI

crap... you are a Muslim that don't wanna attend church programmes and u go to a Christian university. you are forming stubborn and crying everywhere. rubbish. if u cannot cope, don't attend the school. its a faith based school. its even on their website. i don't know why people are like this

When it wasn't that you were forced to choose the school in the first place...
How on earth would I be paying my tuition fee to a school that doesn't give room to my religious beliefs..
Even if I'm on their scholarship it doesn't worth compromising my beliefs.
So just get the hell outta that glorified secondary schl..MY PIECES tho..

well served.

To an outside world, Adeleke University depicts the look of a secular private university but which findings have shown is doctrinally a Seventh Day Adventist Church University

People know now, Muslims should just avoid schools like that to avoid unnecessary drama.

a

They will go to a Christian university and be causing problems there after accepting the rules and regulations before admission.

Height of rubbish

Kingsean:
crap... you are a Muslim that don't wanna attend church programmes and u go to a Christian university. you are forming stubborn and crying everywhere. rubbish. if u cannot cope, don't attend the school. its a faith based school. its even on their website. i don't know why people are like this

abi oh

Ahhhhh

why can't d boy change to Christianity,since that's what CAN,xtians, and polytheists want. I don't know why Yoruba Muslims prefer ethnic - tribal affiliations more than religious affiliations . Can't they take a cue from their Yoruba xtians?

errrm

Religious based schools are for the targeted religion and for those that are not tied to a religion.

Kingsean:
crap... you are a Muslim that don't wanna attend church programmes and u go to a Christian university. you are forming stubborn and crying everywhere. rubbish. if u cannot cope, don't attend the school. its a faith based school. its even on their website. i don't know why people are like this

You're not making sense. Maybe the government should ban all these churches and mosques masquerading as universities to stop the general foolishness of Nigerians.

this shouldn't be any news because I believe the students already know the rules and regulations of the school before they were admitted.

That their own problem

I beg wu
Will borrow me money till next year

I was about to rant about the school, untill, I saw that it is in the school handbook which means the guy accepted the admission by himself after seeing such nonsense. All this glorified secondary school.

Harbidexy5:
When it wasn't that you were forced to choose the school in the first place...
How on earth would I be paying my tuition fee to a school that doesn't give room to my religious beliefs..
Even if I'm on their scholarship it doesn't worth compromising my beliefs.
So just get the hell outta that glorified secondary schl..MY PIECES tho..

All these Muslims without brain blabbing. So you want to tell there is not Muslim university the student can attend aside Adeleke university? Gloried secondary school you say, while you went to a public state university cos your parents couldn't afford to send you there.

Not in tune with reality and playing the victim card. Very PDP behavior.

Okay

A

how can u go and enroll in a school that u can't obey their authorities ?


must these people find problem everywhere they set foot on ?

am not a Catholic but I went to a Catholic school , I obeyed all their authorities

why not go to a school that will suit your belief ?


una like better thing but to follow the measures , no !

If you're not comfortable, then leave. Stop complaining, rules are rules. Whatever happened to schools like Crescent university and other Islamic institutions.

Lutgaf, why did you create this thread? To start another religious insults here ain't it? This is 2020, stop trying to instill bitterness against religion, you would never see a Christian or athiest create a thread of being deprived of certain things in a Muslim university, let's be guided.

Shame

The boy can enroll in crescent university which is a Muslim university now.

Why do Muslims like going to Christian environments to foment trouble?

It is a new year abeg. We don’t need this wahala again.

Kingsean:
crap... you are a Muslim that don't wanna attend church programmes and u go to a Christian university. you are forming stubborn and crying everywhere. rubbish. if u cannot cope, don't attend the school. its a faith based school. its even on their website. i don't know why people are like this

I don't understand o.

Is Adeleke University now a Christian university?