Lagos, Nigeria
Total gbege dey happen for University of Lagos (UNILAG) as Muslim students don begin shout over wetin dem call religious suppression from the school authorities. According to gist wey we gather, tension don rise since dem cancel the much-expected lecture wey two international Islamic scholars, Sheikh Assim Alhakeem and Shaykh Abu Taymiyyah, go yarn for the UNILAG Mosque on November 17 as part of Peace and Unity Convention 2025.
Di wahala be say, the students submit request for dem lecture nearly one month ago but just over 48 hours before the event, dem tell dem say ‘no go fit’. Dem say di reason be say di speakers na ‘international people’. (Omo, who no sabi say international people fit bring plenty gists?)
Di disgruntled students, under di group wey dem call “Concerned Muslim Students”, drop one viral statement where dem dey blast di decision as deliberate obstruction. Dem dey accuse di university Muslim leadership of acting with bad belle. Dem write, “We dey very disappointed say di Chief Imam decide say we no fit hold di program because di speakers na ‘international’.”
Dem talk say for weeks, students and community members dey look forward to di gathering wey go inspire, educate, and strengthen unity, but now dem dey face obstruction from people wey suppose dey support dem. Di statement also add say, “This na pattern wey don dey happen for years; instead of serving di community, dem dey use di authority to stifle am.”
As expected, social media no carry last as e don dey hot finish. Many Muslim students don dey call am calculated move to silence dem. For X platform (wey we fit still call Twitter), di hashtag #GenocideAgainstUNILAGMuslimStudents don trend briefly, with pipo dey joke say dem go tag Donald Trump to intervene for di matter (I mean, wetin Trump go fit do for Lagos?).
Some students don even carry di matter reach protest level, calling for “revolution” against di way dem dey run di mosque and Muslim life for campus. One of dem write, “This no be just lecture matter. E touch our right to worship, our freedom to learn, and our dignity.”
Di gist no end there o! Di wahala don reach College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL) too, where members of di Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) wey dey linked to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) dey experience disciplinary panels. Dem dey ask dem questions over wetin dem describe as unauthorized collaboration with MSSN Mushin branch for religious activities.
Students dey complain say dem dey monitored, intimidated, and even threatened with rustication for simply trying to practice their religion. Na wah! Imagine dis maga! Another kasala wey dey vex students na di way dem dey commercialize di UNILAG Mosque; wetin suppose be place of worship don turn to money-making venture. Dem dey charge fees to use di mosque for events!
One student, wey identify as Gustavo, drop some serious talk: “Dem talk say di two Shaykhs suppose come speak for di Central Mosque after arrangement wey 1Ummah and MSSN UNILAG make. But now dem talk say e no go happen because di UMC dey bully MSSN UNILAG.”
Another student come add, “Di school don turn to secondary school level. Wetin dem dey do no fit hold.” One student even share how dem dey request N150,000 for using di mosque for event. “Chai, my heart don weak when I hear am.”
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