Two students have lost their lives in Esa-Oke, Osun State, following a bloody clash between rival cult groups that disrupted academic celebrations at the Osun State College of Technology (OSCOTECH).
One of the victims, Taoreed, a fresh graduate of the institution, was struck by a stray bullet just hours after collecting his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) call-up letter. The second casualty was identified as an undergraduate of a state-owned polytechnic.
Gunfire During Sign-Out Celebration
The violence first erupted on Monday, September 22, during the signing-out ceremony of final-year students. Eyewitnesses say the event turned chaotic when suspected cultists clashed near the school premises, forcing students to flee.
A student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recounted:
“We were signing out after our exams in the afternoon when we suddenly started hearing gunshots outside the school premises.
“Everyone ran for cover. It was later that we discovered that a final-year student had been killed by cultists. It was a terrible situation.”
The source also revealed that similar incidents had marred sign-out ceremonies in previous years, describing insecurity during such gatherings as a recurring problem.
Videos from the scene showed students running frantically around the school gate as gunfire echoed in the background.
Fresh Graduate Killed in Reprisal Attack
The following day, Tuesday, September 23, another wave of violence struck. Taoreed, who had just completed his studies, was reportedly at the school premises to collect his NYSC call-up letter when he was caught in a reprisal attack.
A police source explained how he was hit by a stray bullet while waiting to board a bus along the Ilesa–Esa-Oke Road:
“What happened was a reprisal after the final-year student was killed on Monday. The cultists had targeted their rivals in the area where Taoreed was trying to board a bus.
“They started shooting, and one of the stray bullets hit him. When he heard the gunshots, he ran for safety without realising he had been hit. He was later found in a nearby bush, where he crawled to but was unresponsive.”
Taoreed’s NYSC call-up letter was later discovered in the black cross bag he carried at the time of the incident.
Police Confirm Two Deaths
Confirming the incident, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, described it as a cult-related clash that claimed two lives.
“It was a cult clash. Two students were killed. One died on the spot, and the other died in the hospital.
“Efforts are ongoing to arrest the perpetrators,” Ojelabi said.
Recurring Threat of Cult Violence
The twin killings have reignited concerns over campus insecurity in Osun State. Students and residents have raised alarm over the recurring nature of cult-related violence, particularly during major school events.
For Taoreed, what should have been a new beginning symbolised by his NYSC call-up letter ended abruptly in tragedy. Families and colleagues are left mourning two young lives cut short. Security agencies face renewed pressure to end the cycle of cult violence in Esa-Oke.