Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo has declared a three-day mourning with fasting and prayers over the death of its student, Akor Alex who was allegedly beaten to death by his colleagues.
The management of the institution led by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Timothy Adebayo, who revealed this during a press conference held at the school’s Council Chamber on Monday, also told newsmen that 12 suspects, including the porter on duty at the hostel, have been taken to police custody in state CID, Iyaganku, Ibadan.
The Vice-Chancellor debunked the rumour making the rounds that the incident was the handiwork of cultists in Ajayi Crowther University, stressing that the institution has never had history of cultism in its entire years of existence.
Professor Adebayo said the school delegation has gone to pay a condolence visit to the parents of the deceased, while praying that God will give them the fortitude to bear the loss. He vowed that the school has put mechanisms in place to forestall recurrence of such incident.
Alex, a 200-level Mechanical Engineering student and 22-year-old, was allegedly beaten to death by his colleagues over alleged phone theft.
The Vice-Chancellor, who also disclosed that he wept for two days over the incident, said 18 persons were initially arrested but six who are innocent were released while the remaining suspects are already in police custody on the matter.
Professor Adeboyo said:
“I sympathise with the family. We don’t pray for such to happen. We are sad over the development. The university has declared a three-way mourning starting from Wednesday to Friday, with fasting and prayer every night against a recurrence of such incident.
”As a Vice Chancellor, I wept throughout Sunday and Monday. Even while conveying the message to the staff I wept. I didn’t know I would be able to address this press conference.
“We have learnt our lessons in a hard way. We have zero tolerance for bullying and cultism. There is no Cultism here.
“We rusticate anyone involved in bullying.”
“We have a monitoring team that moves around. The Management moves round to check that things are in order to ensure that students comply with the mechanism put in place.”
The VC stated that another layers of security had been added on campus in order to prevent a recurrence of the incident.