UniUyo shut down as cult clash claims one

Tension is currently brewing at the University of Uyo town campus as a student was reportedly killed and another badly injured in a fresh cult war.

Blueprint gathered that the situation erupted on Tuesday when the 300-level student, said to be from the Geography Department, Faculty of Social Sciences, was killed by some suspected cultists.

It was further learned that the situation has paralysed academic activities in the institution as both lecturers and students now live in fear.

A source who asked not to be named in print said upon the death of the student, some cultists in a reprisal attack proceeded the following day to the Fine Art Department and shot another unidentified student who, however, only sustained injuries.

The source added that the suspected cultists thought the death was caused by the student in the Fine Art Department, but was later discovered it was caused by a student from the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Art.

“A student from the Department of Geography was killed on Tuesday. But on Wednesday around 5 pm, we heard gunshots in the Department of Fine Art and on getting there we discovered that a student had been shot.

“He was said to have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital where he is undergoing treatment,” the source said.

Consequently, the management of the institution through a statement signed by the Registrar, Mr. Aniediabasi Udofia, obtained by our correspondent in Uyo on Friday, directed all the students residing in the hostels to vacate the school with immediate effect.

The statement urged students whose academic activities were still running to carry them out from their respective homes.

The statement read in part, “The university management has given a directive that all students residing in the hostels in the University Campus should vacate the same before 6:00pm today, Thursday, July 01, 20211, till further notice.

“Students who have any ongoing academic activities (Examination or Research Projects) to do in the school during this period are advised to do so from their respective homes.

“By this notice, the dean of students and the director of security are requested to ensure that the hostels were evacuated as directed by the management.”

As at the time of filing in this report, the suspected cult groups involved in the matter were yet to be identified.