There was mild commotion in the Great Independence hall on Monday night after some residents of Queen Idia hall trooped into the male hostel to fetch water.
There was no power in Idia hall, hence the need to fetch water in the nearest hostel.
It was alleged that students in the block C of Indy Hall launched a verbal assault on the female students, a practice called ‘Aro’. However, some students in the Block denied the allegation.
Indy Press gathered that the Idiates reported the alleged verbal assault to their Hall executives, who consequently reported to the Students Union President, Adeyinka Adewole (Mascot).
The SU President reportedly came into the hall to reprimand Katangites on behalf of the female students, but the matter degenerated into an uproar.
It was alleged that Mascot and some students who accompanied him got physical with a student in Block C, an allegation that was denied by the SU President.
The Hall Warden of Indy Hall intervened by calling the school security unit. The security officers reportedly entered the hall and whisked the SU President away from the mob.
The Administrator General of Independence Hall, Adejumo Uthman (Wemmy) expressed disappointment in the action of the SU President.
He said he had already instructed Katangites not to engage in “abusive ‘aro” and it was unnecessary for the SU President “to bring people to the hall to beat Katangites”.
His words: “I had already informed Katangite not to do any abusive aro against Idiates coming to fetch water. I instructed the Hall Marshalls to hand over any Katangite that goes contrary to that instruction. Katangites are not animals, they listen to orders, they follow the rules and regulations of the hall and the university. I’m just so worried that Mascot, the SU President can bring people to the hall to beat Katangites. This is bad. It’s not meant to happen,” the AG said.
However, the SU President denied getting physical with any of the students in Indy Hall. He said it could have been one of the students who accompanied him to the hall.
Narrating the event, he said “I was called that Katangites were verbally assaulting students from Queen Idia hall who went there to fetch water. I was disappointed that even Wemmy, the AG of the hall closed the gate against the ladies.
“I eventually decided to help the ladies get fuel to pump water instead of letting them endure Aro in Indy. When I got back, they claimed that one of the guys that followed me from Zik hall had beaten somebody. They even attacked me, but the CSO called me and asked me to follow the security officers. I just left the CSO’s office now.”
