It was like a bolt from the blues. The missing underwear of a male student of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti State were found in the wardrobe of his colleague.
This attracted anger from other students who apprehended the suspect when he attempted to run away.
The incident, which occurred on Monday, threw the entire campus into pandemonium.
The stolen item belongs to the representative of Pace Setters Hall of Residence Comrade Akinola Ayomide, popularly known as Mayegun. The underpants were found with the accused with charms wrapped around it.
The suspect, identified as Tunde, but popularly known as Zacchaeus, is a 100 level English Language student. He had allegedly left the campus for some days only to return to meet his waterloo.
Many students claimed Zacchaeus is an internet fraudster, also referred to as yahoo yahoo, due to his questionable lifestyle.
Earlier, according to some students, Zacchaeus had boasted to his friends that he would buy a car before the end of the year.
One of the residents of the hall, Oseni Michael, said that the suspect had joked to his roommates that he could use them for ritual, adding that they underestimated his ability.
“There were times we had complained of missing underwear. But since we usually find them afterwards, no one suspected anything,” Oseni added.
Luck, however, ran out on Zacchaeus on Monday afternoon when he was found with a male underwear with some fetish items wrapped around them in Zaccheus’ wardrobe.
“We didn’t trust Zacchaeus from the beginning. Lately, he has been singing around that he will purchase a car before the end of this year. One of us, who kept his piano in the wardrobe, wanted to take it out when he, unfortunately, saw the calabash hidden inside the wardrobe. On checking it, he found the male underpants of Mayegun. He was able to recognise it because the male underpant has a hole. Mayegun had complained that the underpant had loosened and become too big for him before it disappeared. He called on us and we saw the boxer along with schnapps and other fetish items wrapped around it. When we searched the wardrobe further, we discovered two other underwear.
“This provoked other residents of the hostel who resorted to demonstration. The angry students descended on Zacchaeus and almost beat him to a pulp. Zacchaeus was on the verge of being set ablaze when he was rescued by the porters in the residence, who immediately got in touch with the Director of Students’ Affairs, who in turn, called the security personnel.
“The Directorate of Students Affairs, the security personnel, and student representative bodies immediately rushed, to the scene to control the situation.
In his reaction, Mayegun expressed shock at the situation.
He said: “I went to town yesterday and on my way back, I saw one of my friends who pointedly told me: ‘You have been used’. I couldn’t understand this until I was taken to the room of Zacchaeus where I saw my underwear in a kind of calabash along with schnapps and some fetish items wrapped around it. I could hardly wait for Zacchaeus’ arrival and I asked him how my underwear got to his wardrobe along with those charms. He tried to escape, but we chased and grabbed him,” he said
Mr Charles Egunjobi, the DSA, described the incidence as ‘unbelievable and unexpected’, promising that management would treat the matter with despatch.
He said: “This is really unusual of the school,” Mr Egunjobi said.
The management has issued a directive that the guy should be handed over to the police. As you can see, the police from the Ikere-Ekiti Area Command are here.
“Next time, when students are involved in a situation like this, I expect them find a lasting solution through non-violent means. The students aren’t supposed to make a noise or take laws into their hands,” Egunjobi further counselled.
The Students’ Union Government (SUG) President Afolabi Henry; and Speaker Lawal Qamarudeen, Nigerian Universities Engineering Students Association (NUESA) President-elect,Comrade Olakitan Stephen and other students’ condemned the barbarous act.
They implored their colleagues not to engage in violence as no one could predict the outcome of such action.
Afolabi said: “The tension when I got here was high. We had to call on the security unit and the (police) Area Command.The students should desist from putting their names, that of the school, and other people into jeopardy. No matter what, things should be done according to the law. Violence will only create more problems. We assure students, we will do our best to ensure justice. This will serve as a note of warning to all students.
Olakitan also sued for calm.
“It’s really incredible,” Olakitan said in shock. “If this could happen in students’ environment, this shows how desperate people can be. Zacchaeus’ action calls for serious beating, but I will just urge the students to be calm and let the appropriate authority take it up. The students leaders will follow up the case and ensure justice for all,” he pleaded.
Olowokere Joshua, one of the students, who reside in the hostel, attested to Zacchaeus’ ability to commit such atrocity.
“He can do it. He took someone’s underwear last week and returned it after two days, claiming he was only joking with him and that he just pitied him,” he alleged.
Another student, who simply identified himself as David, added: “He is a 100-Level student of English. He has not sat for any exam this semester. He is a traditional guy. He spends all his money on charm and often threatens to harm others metaphysically whenever he’s offended.”
Attempts by our correspondent to speak with the suspect were not successful, no thanks to the angry mob. Eventually, and at the instance of the management, the suspect was whisked away amid students hurling stones at the police van.
The Nation.
