OAU restricts students’ movement over Ooni

AS anxiety mounts and the stage appears set for public announcement today of the demise of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife has announced a curfew on its students .

The university authorities are asking the students to stay indoors throughout the duration of the burial rites of the monarch who is suspected to have joined his ancestors.

A statement by the Acting Dean, Students’ Affairs, Dr. I. M. Durosinmi yesterday reads: “This is to inform the generality of students that there shall be a curfew in Ile-Ife, on Wednesday, 12th of August, 2015 from 9am to 4pm and from 11pm till dawn.

Students are therefore strongly advised to stay on campus and those off-campus to remain indoors. “The Division of the Students’ Affairs counts on the maturity and sense of responsibility of Great Ife students and appeals to all students to comply with the information and continue to keep the peace.”

The statement added that lectures and continuous assessment tests fixed for today would not hold. Some students of the institution reportedly expressed their desire to leave Ile-Ife during the period of the Oro festival Though The Guardian could not confirm yesterday whether the proclamation would be made by Ife traditional chiefs or the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, it was gathered that the chiefs would visit the governor to brief him today.