THE stir caused by a female student who allegedly preached against Islam during a Jumat service in the University of Ibadan mosque, hasled to the paralysis of all academic and commercial activities in theinstitution.
A religious crisis was averted on Sunday by the efforts of the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Olufemi Bamiro who condemnedthe action of the female law student and appealed to the muslimstudents who cried foul of the action.
Led by the Muslim Youths leader, Ajibola Akeem, thousands of Muslim students in the institution staged protest round the campus yesterdayblaming the school authority for releasing the student to her parent.
As a result of the protest, all gates leading to the institution were blocked by the protesting students who spread their mats on majorroads within the campus vowing to continue doing so until theinstitution acceded to their demands.
Other demands of the students who trooped out as early as 6am were that the female student, Miss Adegunsoye be expelled outrightly fromthe institution adding that her continued presence would beantithetical to peace on campus and a threat to the muslim community;that her fellowship, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry (MFM)should be asked to vacate the institution.
They also demanded that “preaching and disturbing forms of worship should stop in lecture rooms, halls, cabs, buses, cafeteria,laboratories, common rooms and other public places outside designatedareas; that the free period on Jumat day should be between noon and 3pmirrespective of the period it is”
While pleading with the students to calm down, the Vice Chancellor said, “it was the height of provocation. It is unbelievable. It hasnever happened in the history of this university because what thisadministration has been doing is to ensure inter-religious harmony oncampus”.
“This one that happened beats everybody’s imagination. When it happened, the muslim community invited me to the mosque to appeal tothe students. What we promise is that this administration will do allwithin its power to get to the root of this matter and that is what weare doing”, he explained.
He said the affected student had already been suspended from the institution and that investigation into the matter would continue.
Bamiro added, “I assure the muslim students that justice will be done at the end of the day. This is what I am re-assuring them. I havebeen at the mosque and I know the gravity of what the girl has done.”
The protest denied academic and non-academic workers of the institution entry into
The school premises and this resulted into traffic snarl-up asmotorists on the ever busy Ibadan-Ilorin road had hectic time fromgoing to their destinations.
The students marched from one faculty to the other under the watchful eyes of the security agents with the angry students crying forthe removal of the Chief Security Officer of the institution.
Ajibola said the protest was to register their grievances on alleged injustice of the school authority in handling the case of the 400level student who allegedly disguised into the mosque to preach againstIslam.
The lady, whose name was given as Oluwaseun reportedly deceived other Islamic faithful with a veil and sat among other females at theupper chamber of the mosque last Friday.
Immediately, after the Jumat service, muslim students who were predominantly male had gathered to beat the lady but the situation waschecked by the security personnel in the institution.
She was said to have been protected and moved away from the angry muslim students.
Bamiro described the incident as very surprising and unfortunate. He said, “We will look into the matter and ensure that justice is done. Wewill take a drastic step. We must prevent this kind of occurrence,”.
It was further learnt that the incident prompted some Islamic faithful to stage a peaceful protest yesterday morning.
As at the time of filing this report, there was tension and themanagement of the institution was having a closed door meeting on theissue.
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