YABATECH Students shut school down in Cult riot

The relatively peaceful atmosphere at Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) was punctured on Wednesday when suspected cultists battered a Business Administration student who is now hospitalised.

The National Diploma (ND) II student Daily Sun gathered, was attacked by six cultists in between the Bakassi Hostel and the Complex Building while the Champions League matches were being played at about 9.30pm.

Following the attack on the student, tension was high throughout the night and resulted in the early morning protest leading to the closure of the two main gates, disruption of academic and administrative activities.

The atackers who battered the students fled the campus immediately and the protesting students have sealed off their rooms and declared them wanted.

The protest started at about 6am with students taking over the two main gates and prevented workers from gaining access to their offices including lecture halls that were also sealed off.

Many lecturers and non-academic staff stayed away to avoid any problem, the aggrieved students damaged some billboards and canopies mounted behind the Business Admin building.

After several hours of protest against the attack, the students stormed the Administration Block and forced the Rector, Dr. Margaret Ladipo, to address them at the college stadium.

She pleaded with the students to return to their hostels. They rejected the plea, insisting the management must take drastic action against the culprits.

She promised that a committee would look into their demands and assured that any students indicted would face the music. Dr. Ladipo invited their representative to a meeting.

Earlier, one of the students’ representatives, who didn’t want to be revealed, told the rector that the attackers are known students of the college and gave the management five days to act on the panel reports.

He warned that the incident should not be reported at Sabo Police Station as previous arrests of suspected cultists have led to their release by the police without investigations. He informed the rector that they have identified the rooms of the attackers and it would remain close.

In June, this year, a student was shot by cultists around the male hostel and was treated at the college clinic but no action was taken against his attackers.