Panic as fire guts OOU academic gowns

Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, has confirmed the loss of nearly all its academic gowns to a fire that gutted a section of its Directorate of Students’ Affairs building.

The blaze, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, September 2, 2025, destroyed valuables worth millions of naira, including the academic and graduation gowns used for matriculation and convocation ceremonies.

In a statement signed by Dr. Wale Balogun on behalf of the Deputy Registrar, Corporate Affairs Division, the university disclosed that although the gowns were completely razed, no casualties were recorded thanks to the swift intervention of staff, including members of the Works Directorate.

“The inferno gutted a section of the Students’ Affairs building where the academic gowns were kept. Regrettably, the entire stock was lost, but no lives were affected,” the statement read.

The management has set up an investigative panel, chaired by a senior professor, to determine the immediate and remote causes of the fire. The panel is also expected to recommend safety measures to prevent a recurrence.

Staff and students have been urged to support the probe by submitting memoranda via email, WhatsApp, or hard copy to the Registrar’s Office. The institution also reminded members of the community to adopt fire safety habits, such as unplugging electrical appliances and switching off lights after use.

The fire incident adds to a series of similar tragedies at OOU. In November 2023, a private hostel in Ijebu-Igbo housing 10 students was gutted by fire following a power surge, destroying books, credentials, and personal belongings.

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, represented at the time by the Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperatives, had assured affected students of government support and relief materials.