Why OAU students engaged in bloody clash over Jonathan’s visit

Tension best described the situation at at the Obafemi Awolowo University  (OAU), Ile Ife, Osun State yesterday when rival student groups clashed, leaving at least five students injured.
There were conflicting reports on the cause of the clash, a campus source said that trouble started during the students’ congress held at Awolowo Hall café and was fuelled by some cultists brought to the campus by an unidentified group.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju, dismissed the claims that the clash was cult-related.
According to him, two student groups had issues and resorted to violence, inflicting injuries on one another. He said a group of students accused the rival group of sidelining it during discussion with President Goodluck Jonathan when he visited the campus at the weekend.
“There was nothing like cult clash on campus. But two student groups clashed because a group believes it was not allowed to partake in the discussion with Mr. President. The number of injured students is not known yet,” Olanrewaju said.
Two of the injured students said to be receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Ife were reportedly attacked with machete.
Some of the injured students, a source said, were sighted at the Student’s Union Building after the conclusion of meeting of a group that claimed it was not carried along in the discussion with Jonathan.

Adapted from Sun