Management of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has placed a ban on all social activities on campus following the recent killing of a final year male student identified as Desmond Obukobo Oghenerukhewe.
METROWATCH reports that Desmond, popularly called ‘Mayor’ by colleagues, was last week Monday murdered in cold blood right inside his hostel room in the popular hall 3 Hall of Residence at the Ugbowo campus.
A memo issued by the university’s Dean of Students, Professor Clement Ighodaro, on Tuesday, obtained by METROWATCH, said all “activities related to students gathering are suspended till further notice.”
Although the university management did not state the reason for the ban, METROWATCH learned that the development may not be unconnected to the recent gruesome murder of the final year student on campus.
Precedents
But this is not the first time that UNIBEN has placed restrictions on students’ activities on campus. Over the past years, the institution have adopted such ‘measures’ in the wake of killings of its students.
In 2019, the school banned all social activities on campus following the killing of a 200-level student simply identified as Aficionado by suspected cultists during a final year jean carnival by students of the the Faculty of Arts.
Similarly, in the wake of cult-related killings in Benin City, in 2021, UNIBEN restricted social activities on campus with a directive that all activities must be carried out with permission from the Dean of Students.
Backstory
Unknown assailants on Monday April 3, sent ‘Mayor’, a final year Public Administration student to early grave. Security has been beefed up on campus in the wake of the incident, while normal activities, including academic, are ongoing.
Management of the university had pledged to intensify efforts to protect the lives of staff and students at all time and forestall re-occurrence of such incident within the university’s premises.
A statement endorsed by the UNIBEN’s spokesperson, Mrs Benedicta Ehanire, said ”Management is working closely with the internal security units in ensuring that such dastardly incident does not occur again within the University’s premises.”
While commiserating with the family and colleagues of the murdered student, the UNIBEN management enjoined other students to be calm “as the Police as well as other Security Agencies are working hard to fish out and arrest the culprit.”
On its part, the Edo State Police Command said the death of the final year student was caused by a rivalry war between two cult groups, adding that the deceased belonged to one of the outlawed secret cult groups.
Police spokesperson, SP Chidi Nwabuzor said the late Desmond, who was also the head of Kegites Club in UNIBEN, was a member of Maphites secret cult group and he was killed by members of the [email protected] axe popularly called Eiye.
“Preliminary investigation showed that the victim was a member of Maphites while the killers are members of Aye. The DPO will transfer the case to the SCID to continue investigation,” the police image maker claimed.
More than one week, however, the police are yet to make arrests in connection to the incident. Efforts to obtain comments from the police spokesperson were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, students, especially those in final year, have expressed mixed reactions over the ban on social activities on campus.
Some of them while lamenting the suspension, said social activities help to bring students together and foster unity among them when they leave school.
A 500-level Engineering student who preferred anonymity said: “I don’t think suspending social activities on campus is the best option to handling security challenges. Besides, the killing took place inside the hostel and not during any social activity or gathering of students.”
Samuel, a 500-level Law student, described the suspension of social activities on campus by school authorities as heartbreaking, ”and a violation of citizens’ rights as permitted by the Nigerian Constitution.”
He said if the University management beefed up security they would be able to handle any crisis that may arise during social activities, while calling for adequate security on campus.
“It seems the school is becoming more boring. How can social activities be suspended just like that? Are they trying to pin the killing on social activities? That’s unfair!,” said Samuel.
“If the problem is security, I think strong security measures should be put in place during such activities or events to protect students instead of this outright and unlawful ban.
”These activities have been going on in school for a very long time and adds so much value to the society. Activities like the cultural or faculty week bring togetherness among students. It creates unity and oneness.”
Jennifer, a 400-level Fine Arts student, opposed the ban, saying: “Social activities on campus, especially final year activities, are meant to celebrate the successful completion of academic studies. It is a kind of reunion where students get to celebrate with each other before they all set out to different destinations of life.
