Date: 2003-04-03

Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin lost two students who were shot dead in a renew secret cult clashes, which caused a stampede in the academic community. In a related development, a University of Ilorin final year Finance student, Abimbola S. Adelani, was in critical condition after he was shot in a cult reprisal attack in the campus.

The two students of the polytechnic could not be identified by the school authorities yet, although independent sources said that one of the shot students' body was deposited at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Kwara State Police Command, DSP Kayode Olorunmaiye said that, "as at the moment I am speaking with you, the two college authorities have not informed the police of the developments but I can tell you that only one death of the polytechnic student can I talk about, the university student did not die."

THISDAY checks showed that the polytechnic management has twice postponed the first semester examinations due to its inability to pay her staffers' salaries since January 2003. leading the three unions to insisting on 'no pay no exams.' It was during the peaceful demonstration against this development that two rival cult groups seized opportunities to continue their rivalry. They shot randomly. Several students were said to have received gun shot injuries, many got varied degree of injuries.