"I was beaten, molested, taunted, I only picked a bottle in self defence" - Suspended OAU Vice President Jacob Grace seeks for justice

Ms Jacob Grace, the suspended Vice President of students union of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has alleged that the Director of Socials, Afolabi Adedayo Emmanuel, battered her during an executive council meeting and she stabbed him in self defence.

Recall that on the night of September 5, the two students’ union exco members were seriously injured following a fight over the disbursement of N3.8 million given to them by the school’s management for projects within the institution.

During the meeting, the executives offered suggestions on projects that needed attention but a disagreement ensued as a result and Ms Jacob, allegedly stabbed Emmanuel on his arm and he, in turn, headbutted her, landing her in the hospital.

Read previous report here However, the 500level Law student, who is currently recuperating at a private hospital, disclosed that she was assaulted by Afolabi in the presence of other exco including the students union President, Oyekan Ibukun.

Narrating Jacob’s ordeal in a statement to The Education Report, her spokesperson, Onyeka Chukwudi, said the president and other exco watched while the director of socials manhandled her and her shout for help attracted some students around the students’ union building but they could not gain entrance because Ibukun ordered that the doors be locked. Chukwudi disclosed that with the doors locked, the director of socials took advantage of the opportunity to hit her severally and that when the beating became unbearable, she picked an empty bottle, broke it in attempt to protect herself from the assault.

He queried why Grace who was still recuperating in the hospital would be suspended by the university management without waiting for security report noting that the Vice Chancellor only heard the narrative of what transpired from one side and the victim of the assault has not been given a hearing. Chukwudi condemned the one-sided stories on campus and urged other students not to believe the statement that she stabbed the director of socials during her attempt to leave the meeting.