Two rival cult groups at war in Ogun

The spate of violent clashes involving secondary schools in Ogun State, having cultism colourations, is getting really alarming.

This week alone, there have been two separate bloody clashes involving students of Gateway Secondary School, Abeokuta and African Church Grammar School(AFROGRAMS), which are both neighbours.

There is also a case of attack on the premises of Government Technical College, located at Nawarudeen, Abeokuta by hoodlums believed to be cultists.

In all occurrences, dangerous weapons such as axes, cutlasses, nails and such other improvised devices were freely used and leaving in its wake, some students sustaining injuries.

Students of Gateway Secondary School, it was learnt, have been in nursing rivalry against students of AFROGRAMS, for quite some time.

Trouble started on Monday when the students were freely lighting up bangers and this sparked a row.

Students of both schools were sighted in the adjoining street leading to Ita-Eko welding dangerous weapons against each other, even as residents living nearby had to scamper for safety.

During the clash, one student whose identity is being withheld, had one of his ears nearly cut off. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Also on Tuesday, some Okada riders operating within the vicinity of Government Technical and Vocational Centre, invaded the college, following a misunderstanding with one of the teachers.

The Okada operators used dangerous weapons to inflict wounds on students and teachers, just as they reportedly broke ceilings, damaged classrooms chalk boards and uprooted the college’s signpost and eloped with it.

It was also Learnt that the miscreants compelled four of the female tutors to go on their kneels before they eventually left.

Principal of the college, Mrs F.A. Ajala was contacted for comments but she declined for reason of protocol as she said only officials of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, are competent to comment.

However, officials of the National Schools Crimes Prevention Corps(NSCPC), a non-governmental organization, were sighted mediating in the matter.

The organization had promptly interfaced with top executives of Riders and Owners of Motorcycle Organization (ROMO), whose representative, Hon. Olusola Adewusi, effectively helped to dissuade the okada riders.

Commandant of the NSCPC, Commander Folayinka Ige, disclosed that the issue of restiveness and violence has reached an alarming proportion.

Ige said the reality is that majority of secondary schools in the state are cult infested.

“We are actively on ground here in the state. Our interventions have helped managed issue of cult violence and other vices in the schools. The government duly recognized our role but we appeal to the government for funds and support so as to eradicate the menace completely”, Ige said.

It would be recalled that earlier in February, this year, a bloody cult clash involving Ilugun Secondary School and Baptist Boys High School engulfed Abeokuta.

The crux of the matter which led to the violent clash then was a bitter acrimony over who among a particular cultist has control over a girlfriend, who incidentally was an SS2 student of Ilugun High School.