YABATECH students shut down campus after cult attack

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.

Tweet