Two feared dead as rival cult groups clash
From Iyabo Sotunde, Ibadan
THERE was confusion yesterday at the Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State when two rival cult groups clashed.
At the end of the violent confrontation, two persons were feared dead, while one was severely wounded.
Nobody could ascertain the cause of the trouble. A single gunshot at the north campus end of the institution had disrupted academic and administrative activities, sending students scampering to safety.
The Guardian gathered that a minor argument had ensued between two students of rival cult groups which later degenerated into a bloody clash as each group attempted to overpower the other.
The clash was to turn into a free-for-all fight as members of both groups strove to outdo one another, sporadically shooting into the air.
The crisis caught many people unawareness and students abandoned their lectures and ran for their lives.
Workers also abandoned their offices for fear of being hit by stray bullets.
As soon as news of the clash reached the security unit of the institution, the two entrance gates to the polytechnic were shut to students and visitors, including the shuttle buses.
Confirming the incident, the Personal Assistant to the Rector on Media Affairs, Alhaji Soladoye Adewole said the institution's security unit and the police from Sango Station led by their Divisional Police Officer (DPO), who were holding meetings with the school authorities at the time the crisis started, were able to quell the fight and restore normalcy to the campus.
According to Adewale, one person died during the clash, while another student was wounded and was receiving treatment at a private hospital in the metropolis.
Besides, Adewale said five persons had been arrested and handed over to the police.
"The Moslem students played a significant role in the arrest of four of the cult members as they marched round to see that the culprits were apprehended.
Appealing to the law enforcement agents to ensure that justice was done in the matter, Adewole said those found guilty among the arrested cultists should be sanctioned.
"If the full weight of the law is applied, there will be peace and order on the campus. We do not have the power to prosecute, but we want appropriate sanctions to be imposed by the authorities.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Femi Adedeji, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), confirmed that there was a crisis between two rival cult groups on the campus but was silent on the number of casualties recorded during the fracas.
Adedeji, however, disclosed that his men had been deployed to the scene to maintain law and order and restore normalcy to the institution.
