OAU Muslims: We don’t run brothels, our sisters not prostitutes

The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) chapter of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) insists its female students are not prostitutes and its mosques shouldn’t be called brothels.

OAU MSSN reacted to the recent allegations made by G.A Akinola, acting dean of students’ affairs, in a statement made available to TheCable Lifestyle.

“The hall mosques, Awolowo and Fajuyi, each comprises of two big halls separated by a wall. This is not uncommon, rather it is almost the default in mosque architecture”, read the statement.

“It’s either the females are on a separate floor, as seen in the new OAU Central Mosque, or the floor is demarcated by a barrier, as seen in the hall mosques and the old OAU Central Mosque.

“The hall mosques have three doors that open to the exterior with another door joining both sides of the mosque. Two of these entrances lead to the male side of the mosque while the third is the female entrance to the female section.

“The DSA entered the mosque through the male entrance, then proceeded to the female side hoping to use the door within the mosque. Apparently, she was acting on information however flawed.

“What she didn’t know is that the door is rarely used since the females exit through their door to their hostels and males use the doors which connect to their halls, Awo and Faj as the case may be.”

The students went on to say that “the mosque is not a ‘male hostel’ mosque and it has never been”.

“Even when many of the professors were still students, males and females used to worship together in the different places used as makeshift mosques before the present location. This is not limited to the Muslims; the same thing holds for the many clubs and fellowships with offices in both halls.

“So it took some time for the sisters to open the door. This is absolutely normal in a sane environment devoid of prejudice. She did not knock the door, seemingly because she was not used to it, but charged on it.

“Will you ever rush to open a door if a stranger barged on your peace and tranquillity? The female students were not locked up in a room as erroneously claimed in some quarters; they were simply at their side of the mosque.”

“OAU alumni and students know that females visit the various societal secretariats within Awolowo and Fajuyi halls at any time of the day.

“They hold fellowships, choir sessions, tutorials and so on in these rooms which share same floor with male rooms and toilets. The only exception is the MSSN OAU library and that’s why females have their own library in the mosque which is situated outside the dorms.

“It will be a great injustice to claim that these many girls who visit these fellowship offices are prostitutes because they spend long hours within the male sleeping area. That will be petty and exceptionally disingenuous.”

The society expressed support for the Anthony Adebolu Elujoba-led school management, while stating that its female students can never be found indulging in pre-marital sexual intercourse.