Full Story Of The OAU July 10 1999 Massacre

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 .