TASUED suspends exam after cult members kill final-year student

The management of the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, on Thursday suspended the institution’s ongoing examinations following the killing of Ayinla Fabiyi, a final year student of History and Diplomacy, by suspected cult members on Wednesday.

The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Odubela Ayotunde, made this known in a statement made available to journalists.

Odubela said the university condemns this serious and incomprehensible act and expresses its condolences to Fabiyi’s parents and family for this unfortunate incident.

The current exams had previously been scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

According to the statement, Odubela said the university management had received reports that Fabiyi was attacked on Wednesday at the back of the university’s CENVOS building by some as yet unidentified persons suspected to be members of a secret cult.

The PRO said the examination had just ended when 400 students were celebrating the customary “signing out” outside the lecture hall when some unidentified persons carried the said victim, identified as Fabiyi, and were eventually attacked.

Odubela said Fabiyi’s colleagues assumed that the persons in question were celebrating with him as it was also his birthday, but suspicions arose when he later resisted being carried away.

“So they started dragging him to the CENVOS university building. The security personnel on site immediately alerted the security unit, which responded immediately.

“When the attackers saw the security forces, they fled through the bushes behind CENVOS. The victim was rescued alive, but was seriously injured and bleeding profusely.

“He was transferred to the University Health Centre from where he was referred to Ijebu-Ode General Hospital for further treatment.

“The victim was referred to the Backock University Teaching Hospital at the General Hospital due to the severity of his head injuries,” the statement said.

However, she said Fabiyi reportedly died while being transferred to Babcock for further treatment.

Odubela said it was also not true that Fabiyi was abducted from the examination hall as he was not working on his ongoing History 329 (Modern European Political Thought) course at level 300 at the time of the attack.

“The exams for Thursday, 4 and Friday, 5 July 2024 are suspended until further notice.

“The university has now reported the incident to the Nigerian police so that they can take the necessary action. A number of arrests have also been made.

“The University strongly condemns this heinous act and at the same time expresses its condolences to the parents/guardians of the deceased and prays that the Lord Almighty will console the family,” the statement added.

She urged parents and students of the institution to remain calm as there was no cause for alarm and asked students to go about their business as the situation was under control.

“The university management appreciates the quick intervention of the Nigerian police, which has brought calm to the campus.

“We remain firm in our belief that TASUED has zero tolerance for cultism, gangsterism and other deviant acts,” it concludes.