OAU Management Denies Assault Of Student By Hall Porter

Pandemonium rocked the entrance of Obafemi Awolowo Hall in the Obafemi Awolowo University on Friday the 4th of June 2021, after a porter of the hall allegedly harassed a Part 2 Physical Education student while he was trying to gain access to the hall.

The harassed student, identified as Sumade Saudiq who took to his Facebook page to narrate how the event happened, said he only went to the hall to get his jersey which he wanted to use to play football with his classmates against the Faculty of Clinical Sciences students.

Upon getting to Awo hall, he was not allowed into the hall and he was asked to provide his hostel identity card. He said he obliged and he stepped aside at the entrance of the hall. 

The porter told him to leave the hostel premises but he said he refused as it was an abuse of power as he was not trying to enter the hall by force. All of a sudden, he was burgled and dragged to the back of the porter’s lodge where he was beaten to the extent of sustaining both internal and external injuries.

After beating him, the porters called upon the security unit and he was taken away by the security personnel. Upon getting to the security unit, he was told to write a statement where his student identity card was seized and was told to come back on Monday for further questioning.

Although he said he was not shocked that the security unit acted this way, he was shocked that such an incident happened at Awo Hall, a place that happens to be very vibrant for students’ welfare.

However, on Saturday 5th of June, 2021 the Division of Student Affairs headed by the Dean, Prof. I.O. Aransi and described the event as false. 

The Division of Student Affairs announced that their investigation revealed that the student wanted to enter the hall but he abused, insulted and assaulted the porter on duty and that was unruly behaviour. 

The management further explained that some people disguised as students have succeeded in stealing laptops and cell phones of students in many halls of residence in the University and hall porters have been mandated to be more vigilant in the discharge of their official duties as a result of this.

The assaulted student claimed the release from the school management was completely different from what happened at Awo all, noting that he was not trying to forcefully enter the hall and he was beaten by the porter. He explained how he felt cheated and helpless in a school where unionism was second to none back in the days.