The July 10th Martyrs: The Fallen Five Of Ife Gun shots, In the air, Here and there, Bullets flying, Students shouting, Students running, Helter-skelter, They seek Refuge, Against who? Dreadful blood-thirsty gangsters. Block 8, Awo Hall, they stormed, With blood in their eyes, Mercilessness in their veins, And destruction in their hearts, Guess what? For Students Union activists, They came. Saturday, July 10th, 1999, That was the day, The day Ife was ransacked, The day Ife to naught, like World Trade Center, was brought, In the head, in the stomach, in the heart, Many were shot, Five heroes were fallen, This day, 1999, five heroes where slain, George Iwilade- Aka: Afrika, Unions Secretary General, Founder, Afrika Forward Movement (AFORM) For him, they searched, in his bed, they found, In his head, they shot, Lanre Adeleke- Aka: Legacy, President of the Union, Was the next, They searched, Legacy come out your life has been paid for.- they shouted, Woken by gunshot, Apparently shot at Yemi Ajiteru, And like a chased rabbit, Quickly did he ran out for cover, Dreaded bandits indeed, Men capable of anything, Many defenceless students, they shot, In rooms, in toilets, in bush, In every where, they shot, Block 1, SUG room 56, they went, The door, they smashed, But Welfare Officer and Financial Officers were unmet, What was going on?- He thought, To see, his door, he opened, But so pitiful, Poor Eviano Ekelemu, medical student, Was shot in the lower stomach, Then became lifeless at the University Health Centre, Killings left, Massive outcry followed, In search of these assailants, the students went, Management, their first suspect, Some caught, Their revelations *shocks, For Omole was linked, The July 10th Martyrs were buried, Buried in front of Awo Hall, Except for Afrikka, Earthed where he hailed, The funeral, a crying competition event, About 20,000 people attended, Students, workers, lecturers, parents, market women, journalists... They all showed faces, In Ife town and suburbs, Market women shut shops, Came down for the burial, All in solidarity. The whole of Ife stood still, Ile-Ife township wept, it was a gory incident Student Unions from different campuses, Solidarity lecture boycotts, Protest marches on many campuses, Revolt against cultism, Against victimization of students activists, Workers of Ife University, with students, They solidarized, Activities halted for two weeks on campus, It was a public outcry against Omole, Students supported, By lecturers, by labour forces, By parents, by all, And Wale Omole was removed, While jubilation rented the air, Jesus removed Omole!!! Jesus removed Omole!!! Jesus removed Omole!!!, Was the Christian students chant, Alhamdulillah!!! Alhamdulillah!!! Alhamdulillah!!!, Was the Muslim folks chant, Broad left activists meeting was attempted, Left organizations on campus were united, to organise a form of united front to combat the situation, Was the purpose, The idea of a Students Defence Corps was raised, Raised with many other security proposals, TO JUSTICE ALL CULPRIT!!!, They resolved, Resolved with their fists thrown in the air, But now, out of the University and town, These assailants disappeared, Disappeared completely like Nollywood ghosts, 1999 to 2014, 15 years today, Yet memory fresh, 15 years today, Yet students activists rusticated, 15 years today, Yet rusticated students activists unreinstated Today, we remember The July 10th Martyrs, Martyrs of the students struggle, Martyrs whose blood shed, And life taken, Martyrs martyred In the noble cause of genuine students liberty!!! Its 15 years today, Wale Omole still walks freely, While Our Fallen Five, From the kingdom of martyrdom, Still cry for Justice!!! Salute to: George Iwilade: Afrikka! Tunde Oke, Efe Ekede, Eviano Ekelemu, Yemi Ajiteru Forget not July 10th 1999, Forget not the Fallen Five!!! Aluta Continua... Victoria Asceta!!! Writer: Oseriemen Majekodunmi, Sankara!!! Department of Foreign Languages, University of Benin.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 22:30:58 +0000