A violent clash suspected to have involved members of rival cult groups near the entrance of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, has reportedly left one person dead and four others injured.
Eyewitnesses, including some students of the polytechnic who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident involved members of the Eiye and Aye confraternities. The confrontation, which happened just outside the school’s main gate on Tuesday, turned violent, leading to injuries and the alleged death of a male victim.
A video shared on Facebook by Lamina Omotoyosi, believed to have captured the incident as it happened, showed a man wearing a white shirt striking another individual on the head several times with a hammer while others looked on.
Sources revealed that after the attackers fled the scene, the victim was taken to a private hospital in Iree. However, the hospital reportedly refused to admit him. Efforts to rush him to another hospital in Osogbo failed as he was said to have died on the way.
An eyewitness, who watched the incident unfold from a distance, narrated:
“The fight happened right in front of the polytechnic’s gate. The victim was attacked with a hammer and struck repeatedly on the head. There was also an exchange of gunfire between the two groups. We had earlier heard rumours that a clash might happen, and the school security had already held meetings with some of the suspected cult members. Sadly, the victim passed away while being transported to Osogbo after being rejected by the first hospital.”
The source added that four other students were injured during the clash, with one of them reportedly hit by a stray bullet.
Reacting to the incident, the Dean of Student Affairs at Osun State Polytechnic, Dr. Tope Abiola, confirmed that there was a violent incident involving suspected cultists outside the school premises.
“We were on campus when gunshots were heard from outside the school gate. From what we gathered, one person was critically injured. To the best of my knowledge, there has been no confirmed death. The individual injured is a former student who completed his National Diploma here about two years ago,” he said.
The Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, also confirmed that those injured during the incident were receiving treatment in the hospital. However, he stated that there was no official confirmation of any death resulting from the clash at the time of his report.
