No fewer than four students of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, were injured on Monday in an attack unleashed by suspected cult members on a private students’ hostel.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the attackers stormed the hostel under the pretext of searching for a stolen laptop.
They were, however, repelled by some occupants, who doubted their claim.
They reportedly returned afterwards in large numbers, calling out the name of a National Diploma student.
In the ensuing confusion, four students were said to have been injured and taken to a hospital for treatment.
Our correspondent, during a visit to the hostel on Lasunwon Lambe Estate on Tuesday, gathered that the injured students attempted to defend the ND student, who had earlier complained of threats from some cult members who wanted to initiate him into their group.
A witness, who identified himself only as Bayo, said, “When they first came in the afternoon, they said they were searching for a missing item. They said the person that stole it passed through the estate. We engaged them and they failed in their attempt to gain entrance.
“Suddenly, around a few minutes past 9pm, a larger group came and started calling the name of one of us in the hostel to come out. Immediately they called his name, we remembered that he once told us that some people were disturbing him to join a cult. Some of us went out and we asked others to stay with him in the hostel. Four of us were injured after confronting the cult members.”
The President of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria in Lagos State, Dr Saheed Ashafa, lamented that the hostel attacked was predominantly occupied by male Muslim students of the institution.
He noted that the report sent to the MSSN in Lagos State by its LASPOTECH branch indicated that the attackers targeted a Muslim student in the hostel for initiation.
He said, “Our members in Ikorodu were attacked by cult members in their hostel last night (Monday). According to the report sent to me early this morning (Tuesday), they were trying to initiate a Muslim student, so they wanted to intimidate students in the hostel where he resides to get their way.
“I was informed that they had been threatening him in the school with the support of a lecturer. They had access to the hostel at first by claiming that they were searching for their missing laptop. They later went there in a large number. Some students sustained injuries, but have been treated and discharged.”
Ashafa said the incident had been reported to the school management and the police authorities.