•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.

Information has it 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, it was gathered that three cult groups, Eiye Confraternity, and Buccaneer have been drawn in a battle of supremacy for the soul of the universty.

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 . 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 sober 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. The Director of the university’s Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations, Dr. Sola Fosudo, said in an interview that 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, 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.

I hate lasu

Security is infact everybody's business...and the school's PRO is correct. Cultism is a reflection of moral decadence in the society. The schools is only its ground zero

Yeah ...the school has from time been known for cultism and yet the school doesn't have standard

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