A yet-to-be-identified male adult was feared dead in a violent clash involving some people believed to be members of rival cult groups in Osun State Polytechnic, Iree.
Multiple reliable sources among students of the polytechnic, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said the clash involved members of Eiye and Aye confraternities.
They also said four other people were injured in the clash that occurred just outside the main gate of the institution on Tuesday.
In a video shared by Lamina Omotoyosi, a Facebook user, said to have been purportedly recorded, while the incident was going on, a man wearing a white shirt was filmed hitting a man lying down with a hammer on the head, while two other people watched from a close distance.
Newsmen later learnt that after the assailants left the scene, the deceased was rushed to a private hospital in Iree, but was rejected by the facility.
It was also gathered that he gave up the ghost while he was being rushed to another hospital in Osogbo.
Apart from him, an eyewitness said four other people believed to be students were also injured in the fracas.
“I watched from a safe distance when they clashed. The clash occurred close to the gate of the Polytechnic. The victim was killed with a hammer. He was hit on the head repeatedly by a man who attacked him. Four other students were injured in the clash.
“That guy killed in the clash was a student. Before the clash, we heard a rumour that there was likely to be a clash and security men convened a meeting with those bad boys whom they knew on campus. No one can say immediately what caused the disagreement.
“He was hit with a hammer on the head several times by one of those who attacked him. During the clash, there was an exchange of gunfire between the two groups. The clash involved Eye and Ave members. After those who attacked him left, the victim was rushed to a private hospital in Iree. But that facility rejected him.
“He died when his colleagues were rushing him to Osogbo. Immediately they observed he was no longer breathing, his colleagues took away his corpse,” an eyewitness who preferred anonymity for security reasons said during an interview.
When contacted, the Dean of Student Affairs of the Polytechnic, Dr Tope Abiola, said there had been a clash by some “Hoodlums outside the gate of the Polytechnic.”
Abiola added, “We were inside campus when we started hearing gunshots. From findings, one person was critically injured. I am not aware anyone died. The person that was critically injured is an ex-student of the polytechnic. He did his National Diploma here and completed the program about 2 years ago. One of the other three people that were injured was hit by stray bullets.”
Commenting on the incident, Osun Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said those who sustained injury in the clash were receiving treatment in a hospital.
Ojelabi could not, however, confirm death in the clash, saying he was not informed that a casualty was recorded.
The PUNCH
