Muslim alumni raises alarm over threat to peace on OAU campus

The Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates Association has raised an alarm over threat to peace on its alma mata following the activities of illegal Muslim group on the campus.
In a petition signed by its National President, Engr. Abdulwaheed Odeyimka, the group warned of the dire consequences of allowing such dreaded muslim group using the name of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria to operate on campus.
The two-page petition was addressed to the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University and copied to the Minister of Education as well as the Chancellor and Pro Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University.
Others copied were the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Chairman and Members of the Board of Trustees, MSSN and its National President as well as the security agencies.
Odeyimka, who recalled the strategic partner with the University in its pursuit of excellence as a tertiary institution, said it was concerned about untoward development in the institution that they care so much about.
“We are greatly disturbed by developments in the university in the last few weeks regarding a group of Muslim students trying to usurp the identity of MSSN-OAU,” he said.
UNIFEMGA alleged that a group of Muslim students, led by a certain AbdulRasheed Bakare, a 500-level Pharmacy student, planned another week-long programme tagged: “Islamic Awareness Programme” in the name of MSSN-OAU.
The association added: “It was surprising to us that a similar successful Jihad Week programme authorised by the school authorities were carried out a week earlier by the registered MSSN on campus.
“We were told that the university authorities convened a meeting of OAUMC, MSSN-OAU and the leadership of the recalcitrant group where the authorities declared that the recalcitrant group should not go ahead with their planned IAP.
“To our dismay, we learnt that the recalcitrant group has held its planned programme for three consecutive days.
“Things went so bad that when the university locked the venue of their first activity in the programme the recalcitrant students forcibly broke doors to gain access. Thereafter, the university authorities have not dared to interrupt their activities.
“We are concerned that things could come to this ugly pass in our alma mater. As Muslims, we know that Islam does not condone violence and disrespect to constituted authority and both have been displayed by these recalcitrant students.”
UNIFEMGA said it cherishes and will always protect the reputation of OAU as a place of learning and culture, adding that there was nothing to portray learning or culture in the conduct of the recalcitrant students.
It said: “We are concerned that unless the university immediately stops the IAP, more acts of indiscipline will be carried out with impunity by the group and similar ones.
“Sir, you are aware of the antecedents of this recalcitrant group in the matter of religious extremism and their culture of non-conformism. You are also aware of their connection to a wider circle of religious extremists.”
It recalled that the university has in its records numerous activities of the group that breached the peace on OAU campus.
It said: “It will interest you to note that for similar reasons the group has been flushed out of other universities in the south-west of Nigeria and OAU is the only university in this axis where they have a foothold.
“This explains their convergence on OAU anytime they have a programme there. You may be taking risks of immeasurable proportion if you do not stop their activities now.
“We demand that anyone involved in acts of violence and insubordination in the incident mentioned above should be dealt with summarily in accordance with the extant rules and regulations of the university. This is the only way we can demonstrate that OAU is a civilized community that is governed by rules and not whims.”