The land dispute between the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife in Osun State and some indigenes of town took a worse turn on Wednesday, when some hoodlums claimed ownership of some portions of the university land, and went ahead to poisoned the university dam.
It was gathered that some indigenes, who claimed their land was taken for the university when it was established in 1962, had been selling some portions of the land.
According to a source from the university, the aggrieved indigenes were challenged by the university and stopped from further trespassing.
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However, it could no longer be curtailed, when some of the aggrieved land owners allegedly invaded the university from the Parakin area and headed for the Opa Dam, which is the only source of water to the university community.
The armed hoodlums were said to have poured poisonous chemicals in the dam which killed all the fishes and aquatic animals there.
Also speaking to newsmen, a worker at the university, explained that the hoodlums would have caused a disaster in the university if the officials had pumped the water to hostels and staff quarter that day.
He said, “The university’s security personnel raised the alarm after chasing away the hoodlums. Everything inside the dam died and we have not pumped water since that time.”
Based on this, the Vice-Chancellor of the OAU, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, had petitioned the Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Abiodun Ige, urging the police to arrest the perpetrators of the crime.
The vice-chancellor also copied the Director of Department of State Services in Osun State, Mr Brown Ekwoaba, stressing that the university would not engage in any illegal act on the issue.