OAU Murder: “Over 45” Suspects Arrested

Authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on Friday confirmed a man, Adewumi Omoboriowo, was murdered on the school’s campus late on Thursday, following “a fight that went out of hand”.

Reached by phone, the Chief Security Officer of the University, Babatunde Oyasode, told CAMPUS REPORTER the deceased, child of junior staff of the school, was not a student, and that nothing came of his team’s efforts to save his life.

“We were called that somebody has been stabbed around past 10pm on Thursday, said Mr. Oyasode. “On getting to the place we met Omoboriowo and we carried him to the health centre but unfortunately, we were told that he was dead already and then we proceeded to the mortuary.”

He said the incident was not a cult strike, allaying fears the school has been penetrated by cultists.

“It was not cult attack, said Mr. Oyasode, “it was just a fight that went out of hand. The report we have at the security unit here is that as they were fighting, someone went to his car to pick a jack spanner he used against the deceased who is not an OAU student.”

The incident leading to Adewumi’s death happened at the New Bukka, an area on campus hosting bars and restaurants that serve a wide range of customers, including those who are neither students nor staff of OAU.

In connection with the incident, Mr. Oyasode disclosed that “over 45 people”, including students, were arrested and transferred to the police. He said all the students, except “those who have questions to answer”, have been released.

“On getting to buka, we arrested all living individuals we met there even with our students. But those who have been confirmed as our students have been released after the certification by police that they knew nothing about the murder,” he said.

Meanwhile, operators of the New Bukka told CAMPUS REPORTER the management had ordered closure of the facility, following the incident.

“We have been ordered to vacate New Buka by the university management pending investigation of the incident”, Seun, an attendant in one of the shops said.