But for a quick intervention of Olufemi Bamiro, the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, the academic community would probably have been engulfed in religious violence from the end of last week.
A 400-level law student of the institution, Seun Bunmi Adegunsoye, was said to have almost provoked tension, as she intruded on a Jumat service going on at a mosque within the university community, shouting ‘accept Jesus’.Photos:VC Univeristy of Ibadan & Islamic Mosque
Ms Adegunsoye, a Christian evangelical and a student of the Law faculty, nearly disrupted the ongoing service led by the institution’s chief imam, Abdulrahman Oloyede, as she continued screaming, “Except you accept Christ in your life, you are not safe. All of you here, no matter the number of the congregation, accept Jesus Christ. Allah is not God; Jesus is Lord”.
According to an eyewitness, her conduct attracted the fury of some male Muslims, who waited around the premises of the mosque almost an hour after the service, to deal with her for the “unwarranted provocation”.
Mr Bamiro, however, saved the day. He came to the mosque immediately he was contacted, to apologise to the Muslim students, describing the incident as “very surprising and unfortunate”.
He also pledged a full investigation into the incident and promised to prevent future occurrences.
Though effectively curbed, the incident is already threatening the peace of the institution and that of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, since it occurred last Friday.
Its effect resonated at the institution’s Obafemi Awolowo hall of residence on Sunday, as Muslim students gathered in front of the hall in the morning to engage their Christian fellow students in a verbal war. The mounting tension arising from the encounter was only quelled by security operatives drafted to the scene.
Already, the matter is dominating discussions among notable Islamic leaders and Hausa community leaders in the city, who considered it strange, particularly as it came on the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.
Planning a protest
A source also informed us that Muslim students of the institution are planning to stage a protest to the office of the vice chancellor and that of the dean of the faculty of law.
We further learnt that they would be demanding a stoppage to the examinations of the law faculty, scheduled to start today, until Ms Adegunsoye is brought to justice.
Addressing journalists at the weekend, Zakariyah Giwa, President of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), University of Ibadan branch, alleged that the incident was a ploy to “perpetuate religious crisis in Nigeria, starting from the campus of the University of Ibadan”, describing it as unfortunate.
He said Ms Adegunsoye’s action was a clear effrontery, alleging that, for the first time in history, she dressed like a Muslim to detract a jumat service in the month of Ramadan at the time the Chief Imam was leading the prayer.
“To our dismay and to the surprise of the whole Muslim community, we learnt that the girl has been released to her parents, the following day, by the university authority, without any reference to the Muslim community, due to the purported intervention of two senior officials of the university. The terrorist is let loose despite the heinous crime she had committed,” he said
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