A group of unknown cult members invaded Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, causing violence and disrupting the ongoing examination process on Thursday.
In response to the incident, the university management tentatively postponed all academic activities for the day.
It is unclear if anyone was injured, but students present during the event reported that it started as a minor argument between two male students before escalating into chaos.
One student, who was waiting to enter an examination hall and spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fears of retaliation, told PIJAlance, “We’re at where we queued for the examination. Then, two students started fighting. One of them picked a stone to smash it on the other one’s head. The second one ran away. Unknown to him, some others in the gang overtook him along the way. One of them brought out a charm, and used it to chase the boy. Before the whole of the gang could get to him, some lecturers had gotten there.
“Probably to scare lecturers away, all of the sudden, we heard gunshots. It goes on till they finally cancel our exams. I was in front of the computer doing my exam when we were told our examination had been suspended. Immediately, the server was shut down.
“I was puzzled by what happened,” the student added. “It was supposed to be my last paper for the semester and I had planned to travel the same day.”
Another student in a report published by the FIJ, noted that examinations scheduled for Thursday were cancelled due to the conflict, which sent students fleeing in different directions. She explained that while in a store on the university’s premises, people began running in panic. To protect herself, she ran into the store, allowing some students to follow her before she locked the door.
“As I was trying to secure the shop, I saw two armed men chasing one individual. When I witnessed that, I quickly bolted the door. Shortly after, I heard two gunshots and someone shouted ‘iya yin’ along with other slang words. After a while, I opened the door, and everyone started running,” the student recalled.
Several videos circulating online show LAUTECH students fleeing as gunshots can be heard in the background.
The student mentioned that the atmosphere on campus felt unusual when she arrived that morning. She had been informed that people were running for their lives and that security personnel were pursuing cultists.
“Some students did not take the exam in the morning, and even those who did had their papers cancelled because not everyone was able to sit for them. Today’s exams have been postponed until further notice,” she stated to the FIJ.
In a message sent to LAUTECH students, the management advised them to appear at their exam venues on Friday with valid identification.
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, the afternoon examination session scheduled for today has been postponed until further notice. Please prepare for tomorrow’s papers as scheduled,” the message read.
PIJAlance could not get in touch with the institution’s representative to comment on the case.
Read Also: Between Made-up Story of Lautech Cult Clash and Trigger-happy Policeman: What Happened?
Campus Desk
We are a group of cerebral journalists that tell all campus stories. Feel free to tip us here: campusdesk.pijalance@gmail.com; Whatssap: 07058404145.