Cultists Clash, Ground Academic Activities In Yabatech School

The cult clash that that broke out on thursday morning at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, as academic programmes were grounded, while movements were restricted.

Leading to a protest by students of the institution, who were expressing their displeasure at an attack on a student by suspected cult members on Wednesday night.

Some policemen, who attempted entering the campus to quell the unrest, were turned back at the gate by the students, who held everyone within the campus hostage for hours.

A source in the Department of Mass Communication explained that the clash started after an unnamed student was attacked by some cult members  with machetes and was wounded.

 The incidence which started with a student having an argument with a group of cult members, the guy in question was ask to do something by this gang, but bluntly refused which led to his beating and machete by the cult group.

“Somebody alerted the victim’s friends and they also came out and faced the cult members.”

It was said that in the Wednesday rampage, security men on the campus were assaulted, while some school facilities were damaged.

On Thursday, the students took over the gates of the school and chased away security men to protest the Wednesday night attack.

It was said that,”Two weeks ago, they (the cultists) stormed the Art Block and wreaked havoc while our security men were merely watching. So the students decided to take over the security of the school.”

It was observed that a few of the security men had changed into mufti, while some of the students who tried to record the riot with their camera phones were assaulted.

The school’s major road was also barricaded. The students said they were awaiting the Rector to give an address on the way forward.

Later, the Dean of Students Affairs, Mr. Omobayo Raheem, addressed the warring youths, urging them to calm down.

He said, “Like many of you, I have not been able to sleep as a result of this development. I apologise to every one of us as a result of the injury one of us sustained. There is no doubt that injury to one is injury to all.

“I can assure you that the management has set up a high-powered panel to look into this and none of the culprits will go unpunished be they students or lecturers.”

He said the wounded student was being treated  at the school’s medical centre.

The Rector, Dr. Kudirat Ladipo, later came to address the protesters. She capped her address with a prayer for peace on the campus.