Cult attack in Yabatech

There was commotion on Thursday morning at
the Yaba College of Technology , Lagos, as
academic programmes were grounded , while
movements were restricted. The development
was as a result of a protest by the 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 . When
our correspondent visited the campus, he
observed that two fully loaded staff buses were
prevented from entering the institution . PUNCH
Metro learnt that a clash between the cultist
and some students the previous night had kept
everybody awake . 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. Our correspondent learnt
that the student had a misunderstanding with a
suspected cult member. Another source who
pleaded anonymity said , “The student had
ignored the cult member when that one told
him to do something for him. He was later
beaten, clubbed and cut with matchetes .
“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. One of the students at the gate told
PUNCH Metro that the security men guarding
the campus had failed in their duties . He
said , ”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.