•School deserted over attack
Barely
three days after a final year Banking and Finance student of the Lagos State
University, LASU, Damilola Olaniyan (alias Damoche), was killed by suspected
cultists, another undergraduate student simply identified as Kabiru, has again
been shot dead.
Sources
told National Mirror that Kabiru was killed at about 10.00pm on Sunday at
Abeokuta Street, Okokomaiko, Lagos. It will be recalled that the 25-year-old
hip-hop singer, popularly referred to as Damoche, who was alleged to be a
member of ‘Eiye Confraternity,’ was killed last Thursday at about 4.00pm at the
university gate in Ojo area of Lagos, by suspected members of ‘Buccaneer’ cult
group. Prior to the incident, National Mirror also gathered that three cult
groups, Eiye Confraternity, Black Axe and Buccaneer have been drawn in a battle
of supremacy for the soul of the university.
Sources
alleged that the killing was a reprisal for Damoche’s killing, by his cult
group, the Buccaneer. A source told National Mirror: “There are three main cult
groups in LASU. They are Eiye, Buccaneer and Black Axe. Eiye and Buccaneer have
lost one member each. The war is between the two groups now. One of the cult
groups’ members was celebrating the death of the opposition group member in a
hotel, when police arrested them.”
Following
the murder of Damoche, detectives attached to the Special Anti- Robbery Squad,
SARS, of the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja on Sunday, had
arrested well over 100 suspects in connection with the incident. Contacted,
Lagos State Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the death of Kabiru,
but did not say if he was a cult member.
According
to her, the arrested persons, who are currently in custody of SARS operatives
were picked up from Beno Hotel located at Isashi, Lagos/Badagry Expressway in a
raid carried out by the detectives on Sunday evening.
Braide
said the arrested persons were rounded up following an intelligence report that
the suspects had converged at the hotel and were celebrating the successful
murder of the hiphop singer. She added that those arrested by the detectives
were currently being screened and at the end of the day, those found to be
innocent would be released while those indicted would be charged to court.
As a
result of the twin murder, the Ojo campus of the university had been in turmoil
as students have stayed away from their lectures following rumours of reprisal
attack by rival cult groups and fear of possible arrest by the police in connection
with the killings.
Meanwhile,
many students were said to have fled the institution’s main campus and its
neighbourhood, where many of them reside. As at yesterday afternoon, the
campus, which used to be lively, was as calm as a graveyard with a handful of
students wearing somber mood.
The
new development was as a result of the advice from the students’ union
leadership that they vacate their hostels, particularly those residing in
communities such as Igbo-Elerin, Ojo, Iba, among others. According to the
union’s Public Relations Officer, Stephen Adeleke, the decision was taken to
avert recurring cases of reprisal attacks and avoid death of innocent students.
There
are also insinuations that the crisis is not yet over as the other rival groups
have vowed to carry out a reprisal attacks. However, the advice by the
students’ union has been misinterpreted by students to mean that the university
had been shut indefinitely as many students immediately vacated the campus.
But
in a swift reaction, the university has denied the rumour, saying that
activities on the campus were at no time put on hold. In an interview with
National Mirror yesterday, the Director of the university’s Centre for
Information, Press and Public Relations, Dr. Sola Fosudo, the institution is
very secured as all security apparatuses are in place to protect lives and
property. Fosudo, who regretted the development, said the case is a reflection
of the decadence in the larger society and that it is not peculiar to the
university. He advised parents to take due interest in their children’s welfare
and that security is everybody’s business.
He
also confirmed the arrest of about 50 suspects in connection with the attacks.
Also, there is an indication also that landlords within the university’s
neighbourhood have resulted to sending students parking from their houses.
This
action, National Mirror learnt was fuelled by the killing of a child of one of
them during the violent cult clashes. As at the time of filing this report,
students were unsure of the real situation on the campus and were eagerly
awaiting directive from the university’s management.
Source: National Mirror
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