Emergence of ‘extremist group’ in OAU leads to closure of 2 mosques

A crisis is brewing in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) over the emergence of a splinter group in the school’s chapter of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN).

The splinter group been accused of harbouring girls and carrying out irregular activities in mosques located in Fajuyi and Awolowo halls.

G. O. Akinola, doctor and acting dean, in a statement alleged that a faction of the MSSN had seceded from the main body of Muslim organisation in the school and this faction was going against Islamic religious doctrines and school laws.

The management of OAU got wind of this and has taken steps to shut down the mosques in two of the halls of residence.

The mosques were shut down on Friday and circulars were pasted in all the halls of residence for proper dissemination of the seal off.

Akinola in a statement released on Saturday said the splinter group was invited by the division of student affairs for several meetings, and in the last one held, blatantly refused to subject itself to the laws of the institution.

The acting dean further noted that the national body of MSSN recently paid the institution a courtesy visit and raised some grave concerns about the splinter group.

The delegation reportedly complained about “strange doctrinal principles and procedures” of the splinter group in question.

They expressed worries that the development could materialise into the emergence of an extremist group similar to Boko Haram.

One of the students told the TheCable LifeStyle that: “I really go with the decision that the management has taken, because I can’t keep treading the campus with the fear of living amidst mini terrorists; and for crying out loud, why should they split in the first place?”

It was also learnt that students in Fajuyi and Awolowo halls live in trepidation over the acts of the splinter group.

The circular reads in part: “It was agreed that a period of one (1) week be given to permit the group interact with the mainstream MSSN and settle their disagreement amicably failing which the two ‘mosques’ at Fajuyi and Awolowo Halls would be closed down for peace to reign.

“Note that this splinter group of the MSSN had begun to use the two ‘mosques’ in these Halls as a base for their anti-mainstream MSSN rhetorics and doctrinal disagreement on campus, including recruitment of students for their separate teachings. Note also, that these two ‘mosques’, converted as such were originally Cafeteria buildings meant for the respective halls under the University’s master plan.

“On Friday 26th August, the MSSN National body paid a courtesy visit to the DSA to discuss the furore over the recognized MSSN on campus. The visitation team led by the President of the National MSSN, Muhammad Jameel Muhammad came in company of the campus mainstream MSSN and some of his officials. The thrust of their visit was to make a passionate appeal to the DSA on their fear for the possibility of “emergence on the OAU campus of an extremist group of Muslim students in a fashion similar to the current Boko Haram insurgency besetting Nigeria”.

“They expressed some fears and strongly felt that the splinter MSSN group in OAU and what they referred to as “their strange doctrinal principles and procedures” could lead to the materialization of such fears. The visitation team pleaded with the University through the DSA to do all that was lawful and needful to see that such fears were allayed.