Mr Olarewaju said the university management has promptly taken the injured students to the hospital for care.

A heavy rainstorm on Thursday morning destroyed an iconic hall at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, in Osun State, leaving many students injured.

The affected structure is the Amphitheatre of the Oduduwa Hall, where 100-level students were having an early morning lecture when the incident happened.

The university's spokesperson, Abiodun Olarewaju, confirmed the incident in a statement but didn't provide the number of students affected.

However, a student, Gbolahan Latinwo, told PREMIUM TIMES that six students were injured from the development.

Two of the injured students were referred to the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital before they were again transferred to the university teaching hospital, a campus-based publication said.

University speaks

Mr Olarewaju said the university management has sealed off the lecture hall indefinitely.

He said the Vice-Chancellor, Adebayo Bamire, a professor, led other principal officers of the institution to the medical and health centre of the university and ensured that the injured students were given adequate medical attention.

He added that Mr Banire also followed two other students, whose cases demanded more medical attention to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), where he said the "Chief Medical Director (CMD), John Okeniyi, also a professor, physically supervised the management of the cases."

"The vice-chancellor has, therefore, appealed for calm and urged students and staff to go about their academic and administrative activities without any form of untoward action," he said.