On February 1st, 2017, Executives of the premier hall, Kenneth Mellanby Hall, University of Ibadan, with many other students of the great University, visited the graveyard of the first Nigerian Student Martyr - Kunle Adepeju .
Below is a brief history of the events that led to his death:
In January 1971, the students of Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall, University of
Ibadan complained against the manageress of the Cafeteria whom they
accused of corruption, inefficiency, poor productivity and and poor
public relations. A petition for her removal was sent to the Vice
Chancellor. University authorities were however reluctant to remove her
on the allegations. (1• J. D Ojo.1992. "Students' Unrest in Nigerian
Universities". Ibadan Spectrum Books. Page 45.).
According to reports on the proceedings of the court case later filed
and handled by Barrister Gani Fawehinmi, residents of Nnamdi Azikiwe
Hall had been on hunger strike for 48 hours before taking to the street
to protest.
At the end of a week of demonstrations; started by inmate of Azikiwe
Hall and later joined by other sympathizers, the crisis escalated, at
the height of which the then Vice Chancellor, Professor Adeoye Lambo
invited the police to the campus. This lead to a serious clash between
the police and the students. (2• J. D Ojo. 1992)
Police men shot at students during which a student was shot in the leg.
Kunle Adepeju, a a student of the Faculty of Agriculture, was trying to
help the wounded colleague when he was hit in the head by a stray
bullet. (3• According to the article "Kunle Adepeju; A Hero From The
Green" by Ojo Aderemi in The Green Magazine; A Magazine Published by the
National Association of Agricultural Students. 2015)
The killing of a student on campus evoked an immediate hostile reaction
from the public and in response to public opinion, General Yakubu Gowon,
the then Head of the Federal Military Government, appointed a
Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice Kazeem. This commission came out
with the positive recommendation that live ammunition should never be
used in quelling student riots. The Government in its comments rejected
this and held that the use of fire-arms was fully justified in the
circumstances even though it led to the death of Kunle Adepeju. (4• J. D
Ojo. 1992.)
On the first anniversary of Kunle Adepeju's death, 1 February 1972, all
the then existing universities in the country staged a peaceful
demonstrations in their various locations.
- cropped from: leystradamus.com.ng
- We stand to remember a great hero, the first Nigerian student Matyr, a
student of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, and a
Mellanbite -
Adekunle Ademuyiwa Adepeju, who died in the pursuit of an
improved welfare for his fellow colleagues.
Long Live ''Unionism''
