₦airaland Forum

At sunrise on July 10th a convoy of cars and jeeps approached Awo Hall at the prestigious and tranquil Obafemi Awolowe University in Ile-Ife, 160 miles east of Lagos. About 40 marauders emerged from the vehicles, clad in black trousers and black T-shirts, their faces hidden by masks.

“Key cult figures are often the sons of Nigeria’s elite,” . . . “Many of the cultists failed the entrance exams; they were only allowed into the schools because their parents purchased their admittance from cash-strapped and corrupt university administrators.”

The News reported that a meeting held at Black Ax headquarters in Lagos enlisted recruits from other campuses nationwide for the following morning’s assault

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.

Even the ladies jostled to join the "shishi team"

walking into Moz to toast a babe with butterflies in my stomach etc).

OAU for life.

DrummaBoy: @Image 123]




Now it seem to me that the issue of Kumuyi resigning is something that the church cannot contemplate. But that is not just an indictement on the church of DL but of Kumuyi himself. Having ministered in that church for close to 40years, he should have someone who can succeed him by now. He is over 70 and death can come anytime. Does he want to die and leave the flock scattered?

I rest my case on this thread.

a group of masked individuals, wearing black clothing, drove through the main gate and proceeded to the car park next to the Tennis Courts in the Sports Centre. They disembarked there and went on foot along a bush path to Awolowo Hall

The group was probably all young men, although there is a persistent story of at least one woman among them.

On the night of 9 July 1999, the Kegites, members of the Palm Wine Drinkers’ Club, held a “gyration” (party) in the cafeteria of Awolowo Hall. The party was in full swing, when, at around 3.30am (now 10 July), a group of masked individuals, wearing black clothing, drove through the main gate and proceeded to the car park next to the Tennis Courts in the Sports Centre. 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. The group was probably all young men, although there is a persistent story of at least one woman among them. Some of the partygoers were shot, though none of them was killed. The partygoers ran for their lives, a few actually throwing themselves through glass doors.

It should be noted that campus cultism had not always been pronouncedly violent until 1980s, and this change coincided with a period when governments started unleashing serious attacks on university education. This began with the introduction of some outrageous charges and later, in 1986, the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), which have now been transformed into a general neo-liberal economic programme.


In order to repress the resistance of students against commercialisation of education and other anti-poor policies, the government and university authorities employed the service of campus cultists who by nature of their organisations abhor mass, democratic activities by students.The social background of elements who used to be members of cult groups prepared them for such dastardly activities. They were mostly from rich and middle class families, and therefore did not really have problems with anti-poor policies of the government and university management

However, while Omole’s direct link to the OAU carnage could be said to be just an allegation, it is an indisputable fact that his administration created an enabling atmosphere for the attack. For the eight years he spent in office, Omole did not show any seriousness in fight against campus cultism, rather [size=14pt]it was commonplace for cultists apprehended by students to get their way back to the university unscratched[/size]. While student activists were expelled for leading students in various demands, it was on record that no cultist was punished by the Omole-led management.

the day before the funeral, we heard again the jungle drums (a signal that the cultists were at large)

During the search for the culprits, the policemen who went along with the students consciously stayed back whenever the students wanted to enter dangerous areas. For example, the day before the funeral, we heard again the jungle drums (a signal that the cultists were at large). When the policemen were told to come along, it took a lot of persuasion before they would follow. When they got near the source of the drumbeats, the drumming suddenly stopped

After they shot [one of the victims], they were heard to have said that "the mosquito has died!"

Bonapart: you people should misunderstand stupidity for greatness! Dey all got what thry deserve. Law of nemesis never fails

longjon: Was in FUTA at the time. Those guys left quite a legacy. I also remember that medical student SUG presido who stayed out of school for some years due to problem with authorities. What's his name again ?

fullblast: Is it Antony Fashayo or Dr 3As?

FORMER Students’ Union president of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Anthony Fashayo a.k.a Tony Fash, who was expelled in 1996 due to his uncompromising radicalism as a student leader, will be rounding off his medical programme at the university after 21 years this academic session. In this interview with IBIKUNLE ISAAC, he recalls the events that led to his expulsion from school, his eventual reinstatement and life in detention under military rule. Excerpts:

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m Anthony Fashayo popularly called Tony Fash. I’m a final-year medical student of OAU. I’m the former president of the Students’ Union, 1995/96. 　I’m the fourth of seven children born into a monogamous family. I had my primary and secondary education in Akure, Ondo State, precisely, Aquinas College and Oyemekun Grammar School and later, I got admission into OAU for Medicine in 1989; and because of my political involvement, I’m still in the school till now. I’m a Christian of Catholic denomination.


Can you recall your activities as student leader?

We did a lot of things to arouse the consciousness of the students. Then, we were using a formula - EDO. ‘E’ means educator, ‘D’ for discussion and ‘O’ for organisational networking. That time, we were fighting against the military government of Abacha and OAU then served as the coordinating centre where all activists met to strategise. Within OAU, I led a lot of struggles. I championed the cause of finding a lasting solution to the problem of medical students trekking to campus from their quarters every day. We　were able to standardise allotment of accommodation because　the hall management officials engaged in accommodation racketeering. Then, accommodation was based on favouritism and connections but we stopped it and we ensured that allocation of accommodation was based on merit.

We frustrated all the bureaucratic procedures of the hall wardens. We also fought against mass failure in the Pharmacy Department where 369 students out of 461 failed. Then, some of us felt that there must be something wrong with the system of teaching and if nothing was wrong with the system of teaching, then the system of teaching must be wrong with something. We protested it in a ‘scientifically’ mature manner. The result was withdrawn and those students that were advised to withdraw were called back to repeat, while those that were formerly asked to repeat were promoted. As a matter of fact, we were involved in many national and international struggles.


Could you mention, few of the protests you led against the military government?

There was one over which we brought the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) to our campus after Ken Saro-Wiwa was hanged on November　10, 1995, which warranted the Commonwealth and former President of South Africa Dr. Nelson Mandela’s outcry. At OAU level, we thought that something was wrong with the Abacha regime because the things that the man (Ken Saro-Wiwa) was agitating for were genuine. So, we brought Gani to campus and the protest was televised live on CNN. Students from other institutions and people across the country came for the protest. It was that day that Gani declared total war against Abacha and placed traditional curses on him. Consequently, I was expelled from the university the following day; and I was later arrested and detained incommunicado at the Benin Maximum Prison, Oko, Edo State for eight months under Decree two.




Yemi Iwilade and some other students are always celebrated by the OAU students every July 10 as their fallen martyrs. You and Iwilade were said to have taken part in a massive protest that later became bloody at Yaba, Lagos during the Abacha era. What really transpired before, during and after the protest?

That time I had been expelled from the university alongside 23 others but the number was later reduced to13. the then V-C had vowed never to reinstate us. But we were employing　a lot of tactics to get us reinstated. However, Lanre, who was popularly called Legacy was the President of the Students’ Union then. As a progressive-minded person, he understood the NANS Charter of Demand that education is not a privilege but a right. Legacy and his other lieutenants then decided to have a protest in Lagos and I was contacted to help mobilise students. And I joined them at Yaba, Lagos just to give my voice as a Nigerian. Hardly had the rally started when riot policemen stormed the venue and started shooting indiscriminately to scare protesters away. The late Yemi Iwilade, Legacy, I and some other students were arrested and taken to Panti in Lagos. It was there they alleged that I was the one who instigated the protest. I was not released when other students were released but I was released later after the intervention of Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana and Dupe Onitiri among others.

Lakkyjay: OAU student union even goes to the extent of going to other schools to fight their cultist on their behalf.

timilehing: @OP: are u trying to open a cicatrice scar?

REMMEI: Please this thread must not stop here..even if you aren't a student of OAU you can at least pray for the dead..

tinydev56: it was not about rivalry that time.....it was about ♓☺W̶̲̥̅̊ to deal with those pple that gets in the way of cultism......

playah P: Back then, oau was the base for most cult groups... Oh how I miss those glory days!!

The idea was actually to kidnap the executives but I guess things went really wrong!!

The Vc took a fall for it cos of his bad standings with the students but I don't think he knew much about d impending hits!!

Ola Johnson: Seeing a cultist being beating or a beaten cultist in OAU sends a serious warning to cultists. Ife no dey take sh1t.