A religious fracas that took place among the religious groups
existing within the school hostel has forced authorities of the
acclaimed Africa's most beautiful campus to enforce an embargo.
Obafemi Awolowo Uni
The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has locked up two halls housing mosques over crisis rocking the Muslim students’ body of the university.
The university has also suspended religious activities in all its halls of residence.
This was confirmed in a circular dated June 4 and signed by the university’s Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Grace Akinola, of which a copy was obtained by a correspondent on Monday.
The circular read, “This
is to bring to the attention of all students that all religious
activities are hereby suspended in all halls of residence until further
notice. Any student that fails to comply will face immediate
disciplinary action which may include revocation of studentship and
expulsion.
“Students are advised to pray in thèir individual rooms or move to religious centres.”
When
a correspondent visited the mosque on Monday, the wooden demarcation
between male and female sections in the Awolowo and Fajuyi mosques have
been pulled down.
It was gathered that the OAU branch of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria has two factions in the institution.
One
of the factions is recognised by the national body and the Muslim
community, while the other, occupying the locked mosques, is not.
It
was also gathered that the crisis deepened when the national Amir
(President) of the MSSN, Jameel Muhammad, during a visit to the
university management alleged that the faction in control of the shut
mosques is engaging in “extremism and Boko Haram-like activities”.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr. Biodun Olarewaju, said the operation took place on Sunday in a bid to prevent the religious crisis from degenerating.