Stray Bullets of Fighting Cult groups Kill Fresh Osun Graduate After Collecting NYSC Call-Up Letter
- A fresh graduate, Taoreed, was killed by stray bullets during a cult reprisal in Esa-Oke, a day after collecting his NYSC call-up letter
- The violence followed gunfire at a final-year signing-out celebration where another student was killed
- Police confirmed two deaths from the clashes and said efforts were underway to arrest the perpetrators
A fresh graduate of the Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, identified simply as Taoreed, has been confirmed dead after being struck by a stray bullet during a violent clash between rival cult groups.
The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday, September 23, shortly after Taoreed had collected his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) call-up letter from the institution.
Source: Getty Images
Gunfire during sign-out celebration
The violence, in the opinion of eyewitnesses, started on Monday, 22 September, when gunshots were fired during the sign-out ceremony of final-year students.
One student, who spoke to PUNCH Metro in confidence, remembered:
"We were signing out after sitting for our exams when gunshots started ringing outside the school compound. We all scurried for cover. Later, it was revealed that a student in his final year had been stabbed to death by cultists. It was a chilling experience."
A clip received by our journalist depicted students scurrying for shelter at the school gate.
The student also added that the same had occurred previously, remembering that shots had been fired during a sign-out party at the beginning of last year.
Reprisal attack claims Taoreed’s life
A police officer reported that Taoreed was arrested in a reprisal shooting on the day after the attack on the Ilesa–Esa-Oke Road.
The source elaborated:
"The cultists had attacked their opponents in the vicinity where Taoreed was to board a bus. They opened fire, and one of the bullets hit him. He attempted to run for life not knowing that he had been shot. He was discovered in a bush close by, unconscious. His call-up notification was found inside the black cross bag that he was carrying."
Police confirm two deaths
Source: Twitter
When contacted, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the incident.
He said:
“It was a cult clash. Two students were killed. One died on the spot, and the other died in hospital. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the perpetrators.”
Cult rivalry remains a recurring tragedy
Clashes between rival confraternities have continued to claim the lives of students across tertiary institutions in Nigeria, often tied to supremacy battles, reprisals, or recruitment drives.
In June, another deadly cult clash at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, involving members of the Eiye and Aye confraternities, where at least one person was killed and four others injured.
Ogun student drowns while runinig away from Amotekun
Previously, Legit.ng reported that a tragic incident occurred in Ogun state as a student reportedly died and property was destroyed during a violent clash at Ilugun High School, Elega, Abeokuta, the state capital.
The incident was said to have started after students protested against an alleged illegal fee collected by teachers. The trouble reportedly began on Friday, September 28.
Source: Legit.ng
