Fides Media Living the Faith
By Uche Amunike
Justice seemed to have been served at the University of Ilorin (Unilorin), Monday, when news of final year lecturer-beating Unilorin student’s expulsion was made public.
The student, Salaudeen Waliyu Aanuoluwa, of the Microbiology Department, was found guilty of assaulting his lecturer and Project Supervisor, Mrs Rahmat Zakariyau.
A statement released by the Director of Corporate Affairs of the University, Mr Kunle Akogun, said the decision about the Unilorin student’s expulsion was made by the Student Disciplinary Committee where he was arraigned last Monday, adding that he had 48 days to appeal against the verdict to the Vice Chancellor in case he felt unsatisfied with the decision of his expulsion.
In a letter addressed to Salaudeen by the University Registrar, his expulsion was announced as taking immediate effect.
Part of it read: ‘You will recall that you appeared before the Student Disciplinary Committee (SDC) to defend yourself in respect of an allegation of misconduct leveled against you. After due consideration of all evidence before it, the Committee was convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that the allegation of misconduct has been established against you.
It has accordingly recommended to the Vice-Chancellor, who in exercise of the power conferred on him, has directed that you, Salaudeen Waliyu Aanuoluwa, be expelled from the University’.
He was then asked to submit every property of the university in his possession, including his Student Identity card, to either the Dean of Students or his assistant, while making sure he kept off the campus thereafter.
The Unilorin student’s expulsion spread like wildfire in the school campus, especially as the on-campus journal of the school made a comprehensive report on the incident.
It reported that Salaudeen allegedly went to the office of his project supervisor to beg her to cover up for him for not taking part in the mandatory Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Course which he missed due to unforeseen circumstances.
The campus Journal in their bid to dig into the reason for the Unilorin student’s expulsion, interviewed the embattled Salaudeen and he explained that the reason why he did not take part in the compulsory SIWES duty was that he was arrested and placed behind bars for two months.
He said that he visited a friend at the Allen Avenue in Ikeja, Lagos State. According to him while waiting for his friend, he felt the urge to urinate and did so near a parked car. Immediately after, someone who must have washed the car came to him and accused him of being a thief.
Before he could explain himself, a mob descended on him, served him the jungle justice treatment and handed him over to the police where he was detained for a period of two months.
After the experience in Lagos, he returned to Ilorin, back to school. That was when he approached Mrs Zakariyau to explain the reason for his absence to her and appeal to her to cover up for him, as he did not miss the scheme intentionally.
The lecturer declined to help him and advised him to join the next set which would result in an extra year. He made a second visit on the fateful Thursday and she ordered him out of her office which made him lose his temper and attack her.
His words, ‘I got angry. I don’t know what came over me and I started arguing and she told me to leave her office. I asked her what she would do if I did not leave her office.
‘She then threw a mug at me which injured me and I started beating her.’
Salaudeen said the female lecturer did not fight back and he went on beating her and later dragged her out of her office to continue the beating.
‘I dragged her out and she ran. I chased and kept beating her before people came. I tried to run but was later caught by the school security,’ he stated in the security cell of the institution where he was locked up since he was returned from ‘F’ Divisional Police station, Tanke, in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.