Two decades after the violent crisis that shook Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) and the entire town of Ago-Iwoye in Ogun State, former students are speaking out, revisiting memories of a day marked by fear, death, and survival.
On June 16, 2005, what began as a student protest against injustice quickly spiralled out of control, turning the university town into a war zone. Armed men stormed the community. Many students were killed, some injured, others displaced or brutalised. Hundreds fled for safety in different directions, many abandoning their belongings, friends, and academic records.
That day, now remembered by many as “OOU’s Day of the Jackal,” remains one of the darkest in the university’s history.
Voices from the Past
Many former students who survived this incident have taken to social media to share their stories and reflections.
“Students were hunted like criminals in their own school town,” wrote Akin Akinwale, a former student. “Some fled to Oru, Ilaporu, Awa, Ijebu Igbo, and Ijebu Ode. Some followed police escorts to Lagos. Others slept in the bush or hid inside Mini Campus. It was a terrible day.”
Another former student, Segun Tomori, recalled how he narrowly escaped death.
“Kai. That day, I was a refugee in my own country,” he wrote. “I stayed overnight at Mini Campus, filled with fear. At dawn, we started walking out of Ago-Iwoye. My dad picked us midway. It’s a day I’ll never forget. God!”
For some, the experience forced a complete change of course.
“After that crisis, I relocated to Ijebu Igbo permanently,” said @adulawoglory.
Dipo Adedipe, a student who had gone to visit a friend at the time, remembered being far from the violence but close enough to feel the shock.
“I was in Ayetoro visiting a friend. When I heard about the killings, I feared the worst. Luckily, the violence didn’t spread to our side. But the whole town felt the tension. Ayetoro used to be a smuggling hub too.”
Others described scenes of panic, isolation, and escape.
“I laid flat in my room, lights off, praying in silence,” wrote @deejaylala.
“I was preparing for a statistics test when I had stomach trouble and left for my hostel at Abobi,” recalled Mr. Sheriff @officialOlasode. “Moments later, all hell broke loose. I ran through the bush to Oru, then to Ijebu Igbo, and finally to Lagos.”
“I’ll never forget the long walk from Ago-Iwoye to Imodi-Mosan,” said @leke4. “If I had left earlier for a birthday in Ijebu Ode, I wouldn’t have been trapped. We thank God for life.”
What Sparked the Crisis?
The incident that triggered the violence was the killing of a student, Lawal Ismail, by members of a local vigilante group. Ismail had gone to Igan Wesley Comprehensive High School to study overnight. Around 5 a.m., he reportedly felt unwell, and while returning home with a friend, was stopped and shot by the vigilantes. He later died from the injuries.
By June 15, news of his death had spread. Tensions rose. Students gathered on Mini Campus to deliberate and resolved to protest at the Ebumawe’s Palace. Their march began at the Directorate of Students’ Affairs but turned toward the palace when they found no meaningful response from authorities.
The protest escalated quickly. Reports emerged of shootings, assaults, and rape. The king’s palace was torched. Armed retaliation followed. Students were attacked, some within campus, others hunted across town.
Eyewitness accounts said the town descended into lawlessness. Some students were attacked inside their hostels, others as they tried to flee.
Systemic Failure and Leadership Vacuum
At the time of the crisis, OOU’s student union was divided. The union president was facing impeachment. The vice president had assumed authority. The speaker of the house was accused of operating like a warlord. The university management was accused of ignoring growing tensions and enforcing anti-student policies.
In the host community, Ago-Iwoye had just installed a new monarch, Oba Abdul Rasak Adenugba. His reign, though welcomed, had been challenged by local security issues and internal power struggles. The vigilante groups, meant to protect the town, had become aggressive and unaccountable.
All these elements combined to create a volatile situation. The failure of communication, mediation, and early intervention allowed tensions to explode.
Aftermath and Questions Unanswered
The violence continued through the night. It wasn’t until mobile police units arrived from Abeokuta that some order was restored. But by then, many students had been injured, raped, killed, or had disappeared. No official number of casualties was ever released.
With transport unavailable, hundreds of students fled on foot to neighbouring towns and cities. Some trekked to Ilisan, Ijebu Ode, and even Ibadan.
In the days that followed, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) demanded a thorough investigation and reform. Yet, no panel report was made public. No one was prosecuted. The community moved on, but for the students, justice never came.
Reconciliation, But No Closure
It took months before peace was restored. During the tenure of Students’ Union president Awoyemi Ibrahim (popularly known as “Awoo”), reconciliation meetings were held between the Ebumawe-in-Council and the student body. Slowly, normalcy returned to Ago-Iwoye.
But the pain of June 16, 2005, still lingers.
Many former students say the events changed their lives forever. For some, it marked the end of their education. For others, it marked the beginning of trauma and distrust.
Twenty years later, they continue to ask: what really happened, and why did it happen at all?
