Remembering the June 16 2005 Ago-Iwoye crisis

 

Source: Facebook 

"Many events were going on in and around the school; the Union Government and the town itself had contributed directly or indirectly to the disaster that erupted on that fateful day. The student body had a lot of difficulties and challenges. The Students' Union body was distracted from its sole responsibility of seeing to the general wellbeing of students, their various fractions; the President was at the verge of impeachment: the Vice-President had conferred on herself the position of Acting President; the Speaker of the House was a generalissimo. The School Management at that time came up with many anti-student policies. Various interest groups in the school daily desired popularity and were misguided by taking hasty decisions and ceaseless protests.

The town, Ago-Iwoye, had just ushered in a new traditional administration with the coronation of Oba Abdul Rasak Adenugba. His ideal of technocratic governance was generally appreciated but sooner than expected those he entrusted with the execution of various duties became drunk with power. The challenges he met on the ground after his coronation were many but chief among them was the security of life and property of the residents.

In the wee hours of June 14. 2005, there was a fatal warning of the looming crisis that us to engulf the town soonest. One student' reportedly shot by the Vigilante Group in the Igan Wesley comprehensive high school. The student was said to have gone to read in the school compound over the night but he had a stomach upset at around 5.00 am. A friend reading with him offered to help him home and along they see stopped by the group later shot him. The extent of his injuries leads to his death.

At the confirmation of his death on June 15, students were infuriated.

Students' Union President was not around and the campus was on fire; angry faces everywhere, students gathered in groups to discuss the incident and the next step to be taken. There was a clarion call at the Mini Campus to deliberate on the issue. There and then, students resorted to a protest march to the King's Palace to show their grievances. First. they moved to the Directorate of Students' Affairs where the Dean at that time had nothing meaningful to offer. The students then resolved to

The fight went on all through the night and the town was desecrated with the innocent blood of students who were maimed, raped or killed. This went on until the arrival of mobile policemen from Abeokuta. Their quick arrival was a saving grace but the dark had taken her victims before the cock's crow.

Students who luckily escaped the onslaught began their journey back to their destinations. Some trekked as far as Ilisan, Ijebu-Ode and Ibadan vehicles were not available to convey the student refugees.


What went wrong is still a mystery. Ago-Iwoye is one of the hospitable student community but one needs not be a philosopher to think out an answer. The conflict management network on the ground is inadequate.

However, through the Ebumawe's efforts and the Ebumawe-in-Council, reconciliatory meetings began with the students during Awoyemi Ibrahim's (Awoo) tenure and students once again greeted their King. The Ebumawe, 'Kabiyesi o!' with Olive branches and Ago- Iwoye regained its position as a haven for sustainable academic development for the student's residents."

Culled from the book "From Unionism to Heroism" by Emmanuel .O. Bada (Osmond CJ) and Ahmed Omoniyi - Former Students' Union President and Senate President, OOU.