By By Micheal Chukwuebuka
ON July 10, 1999, a wave of terror swept through the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University as suspected cultists belonging to the Neo Black Movement of Africa, also known as Black Axe, launched a deadly early-morning attack that left five students dead and several others injured.
Stonix News reports that the gruesome incident, often referred to as the “OAU Massacre,” remains one of the darkest moments in Nigeria’s academic history.
The victims, all active members of the student union and student community, were:
- George Yemi Iwilade, popularly known as Afrika, the Secretary-General of the Students’ Union Government (SUG)
- Yemi Ajiteru
- Tunde Oke
- Efe Ekede
- Eviano Ekelemu
Witnesses described how the cultists, estimated to be between 30 and 40 in number, stormed the university around 4 a.m., targeting the Awolowo Hall where many student leaders resided.
Their operation appeared calculated and deliberate, aimed at eliminating key figures in the SUG and the Kegites Club.
Tragically, Eviano Ekelemu was shot multiple times in the thighs, genitals, and lower body. He bled to death before he could receive proper medical attention.
The attack was believed to be retaliation for an earlier incident on March 9, 1999, when the then-SUG President, Lanre Adeleke, led an operation in which student leaders apprehended and disarmed suspected cultists hiding at the university’s Senior Staff Quarters. The arrested cult members were subsequently handed over to police authorities.
Though Adeleke narrowly escaped the July 10 attack, his colleague George Iwilade and others were not as fortunate.
In the aftermath of the killings, one of the arrested suspects, Kazeem Bello, also known as Kato, reportedly confessed that the attack was orchestrated under the directive of the then Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wale Omole. Prof. Omole, however, denied any involvement.
In his book “Water Must Flow Uphill,” Professor Roger Makanjuola, who later succeeded Omole as Vice-Chancellor, criticized Omole’s tenure for its alleged failure to address the growing threat of cultism.
At the time of the massacre, Prof. Omole was out of the country. He returned three days later and was summoned to Abuja to account for the university’s security failures. Unable to provide satisfactory answers, he was suspended on July 14, 1999.
Prof. Makanjuola took over the leadership of the university and launched a comprehensive investigation into the massacre. Findings revealed that the attackers included students not only from OAU but also from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), the University of Ibadan (UI), the University of Calabar (UNICAL), and the University of Benin (UNIBEN).
A July 1999 newspaper frontpage
Legal proceedings began at the Oshogbo High Court on April 9, 2001, but the case was marred by numerous adjournments and delays. It was eventually transferred to Iwo. On November 5, 2002, the presiding judge upheld a “no case” submission by the defense, and all the accused were discharged. None of the attackers have since been brought to justice.
The chilling story of this massacre has recently been brought back to public consciousness through the Nollywood film “Omo University”, produced by actor Lala Akindoju. The movie is based on the true story of George Iwilade, whose bravery and activism remain a symbol of resistance against campus cultism in Nigeria.
Even 26 years later, the events of July 10, 1999, continue to resonate across Nigeria’s academic communities, serving as a solemn reminder of the urgent need to combat cultism and ensure student safety on campuses nationwide.
(Details in this article were gathered from multiple reliable sources)
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