The colleagues of a 500-level Civil Engineering student, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Okoli Ahize, on Wednesday, protested his murder by a lynching mob over allegations of theft.
Okoli was lynched at Awo hostel inside the campus on Tuesday and subsequently subjected to torture by the leadership of the student union for allegedly stealing a phone.
He was rushed to the hospital where he died.
Protesting his murder, Okoli’s aggrieved colleagues the main road into the campus, causing gridlock.
The protesters were led by the President, of the Faculty of Technology Students’ Association, Ayanfe, who demanded that those responsible for the killing must be fished out and made to face the law.
They demanded that they (colleagues of the deceased) should be included in the investigation panel set up by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Banire, to unravel the circumstances surrounding Okoli’s death. Addressing the protesters, the Dean, of Student Affairs, Prof. Isiaka Aransi, urged them to exercise patience with the school management, adding that they should not embark on actions that could cause a crisis in the school.
Contacted, the university’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Abiodun Olarewaju, said that two suspects were handed over to the police, adding that investigation was still ongoing.
Spokesperson for Osun State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, also confirmed the arrest of two student union leaders. She promised that more arrests would be made soon.
