On Tuesday, authorities at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, denied the viral news that one of their undergraduate students had been raped and robbed by a commercial motorcyclist known as Okada on the state’s Ife-Moro Road.
The institution, through its Public Relations Officer, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, issued a statement in Osogbo denying the news, stating that the lady had no affiliation with the university.
According to him, “the attention of the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has been drawn to a viral news item in which a commercial motorcyclist, known as Okada, was alleged to have raped and robbed his female passenger.”
“Although the female passenger engaged the services of the Okada rider in front of the university main gate along Ife-Ede road, going to Moro, a nearby town, the motorcyclist, later identified as Damilare Jacob, suddenly diverted into the bush, where he raped the young lady and then robbed her of her belongings.”
“The victim (lady) did not have any affiliation with the prestigious University.
We have done our due diligence and the outcome of our painstaking investigation revealed that no OAU student, within or outside the campus, was involved in any form of rape or robbery”.
“Accordingly, we implored the general public, especially the parents and guardians of our students, to disregard, in its entirety, the said news item.”
“In fact, our university is not in session, and all our students, with a few exceptions, have been on holiday for almost a month now.”
“We hereby appeal to our colleagues in the media who are partners-in-progress to always verify the authenticity of their stories, particularly when Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, is involved,” he submitted.