Friday 10th of July 2015 will exactly be 15 years after the
monstrous massacre which took place against the students
of Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun state on
Saturday 10th of July 1999. The attack resulted in the
deaths of eight people and injuring of eleven, all of whom
were students of OAU.
An account of what led to the massacre is given by Prof.
Roger Makanjuola’s book “Water Must Flow Uphill
(Adventures in University Administration)”. Prof. Roger
Makanjuola, following the massacre, became Vice Chairman
of the university and took an active role in both investigating
and punishing those from the university involved in the
murders.
Prof. Roger Makanjuola writes about an initial incident and
it’s aftermath that occurred in the weeks before the
murders: “On Saturday, 7 March 1999, a group of Black Axe
members held a meeting in Ife town. After the meeting, they
drove back to the campus. On the main road, Road 1,
leading into the campus, they were overtaken by some
students in another car. For whatever reason, they were
enraged and gave chase to the students. The students,
seeing them in pursuit, raced hastily to the car park outside
Angola Hall and ran into the adjacent Awolowo Hall for
safety. The Students’ Union, which had also received
information that secret cult members were gathering in a
house in the senior staff quarters, mobilised in response to
the incident. Led by George Iwilade, the Secretary-General, a
group of them drove to the house, officially occupied by Mr.
F.M. Mekoma, and forced their way into the boys’ quarters.
They found nine individuals inside, eight of them students of
the University, with a submachine gun, a locally
manufactured gun, an axe, a bayonet and the black clothing
and regalia of the Black Axe cult. The University authorities
were informed, and the members of the secret cult were
handed over to the Police. They were held in police custody
and taken to the Chief Magistrate’s Court where two weeks
later they were granted bail.”
Prof. Roger Makanjuola documents and raises concerns
over the way the matter was handled by both the police and
court system who broke from protocol, common sense and
destroyed evidence and how this led to the failure to be able
to prosecute the Black Axe members involved in the
incident. Prof. Roger Makanjuola writes: “The case was
heard on 31 March, and to the utmost amazement of
everyone, the Chief Magistrate discharged and acquitted the
arrested individuals. The students who had apprehended the
cult members were not called as witnesses. The
investigating police officer, Corporal Femi Adewoye, claimed
that the witnesses could not be located and actually stated
in Court, “I tried to contact the complainants in this case, all
to no avail. To date, there is no complainant in the case.
Since all the accused persons denied the allegations against
them and there is no complainant, there is no way the
allegations can be proved.” This was the submission of the
prosecuting police officer! Usually, in such cases, witness’
summons were served through the University
Administration but this did not happen. The trial was
concluded in two courtappearances in eight days.
Prof. Roger Makanjuola recalls following the failed
prosecution the Black Axe cultists returned to the university
to study. Much to the dismay and concern of fellow
students. Under pressure from students the university’s
authorities moved to suspend the cultists involved by
issuing a ‘release’ but failing to send the specific students
official letters informing them of their suspension.
Prof. Roger Makanjuola says: “Shortly
afterwards, the University was closed as a result of a
student crisis. When it re-opened three months later, the cult
members returned to the campus and were seen attending
lectures. The students raised an alarm once more. In
response to this, the University issued a release on 2 July
re-affirming the suspensions of the cult members. The
letters of suspension were dated 8 July and it is doubtful
whether those affected actually received them before the
tragic events two days later.”
THE SHOOTINGS AND THE KILLINGS.
On the night of the 9th July 1999 a number of student
groups held a party at Obafemi Awolowo University. The
‘Mirror Online’ reports: “members of Kegites Club on the
campus, Man O’ war members, and various other student
leaders- both former and incumbent, gathered at the open
ground between Angola and Mozambique Halls.” Later in
the night many of the party-goers began occupying the
cafeteria of Awolowo Hall whilst others returned to their
halls of residence to sleep.
At between 3-3.30am (now 10th July 1999) a large number
of cultists (reported to be between 22 and 40) of the Black
Axe 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 Black Axe 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, (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.”
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 Black Axe
“shot him immediately in the head. Then they smashed his
head with their axe to make sure he was dead”.
It is reported that 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”
Prof. Roger Makanjuola’s account of the Black Axe cultist’s
escape is that “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.”
THE AFTERMATH AND THE MOTHER OF ALL CONGRESS
The day after the attack it is reported
“President Adeleke (legacy) presided over a congress of
great Ife students in the enormous amphitheater of
Oduduwa Hall and that congress is famously known till
today as the mother of all congresses on OAU ; 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
nairas ($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 envelope 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.
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.
The July 10 massacre has been passed on to the different
generations of students in OAU and a special programme is
usually been held to remember and appreciate the heroes
who were murdered on the day .
