The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed the killing of two suspected cult students during an attack on security detectives.
A statement from the command in Ilorin said some cultists on Saturday unleashed attacks on a team of police detectives from the Special Tactical Squad (STS) FIB, Abuja, thereby causing pandemonium around the Kwara State Polytechnic gate, Ilorin.
The statement by the command’s spokesman, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, explained that the team came on the trail of some cultists in the area.
It however allayed fears among residents around the state polytechnic area that the pandemonium experienced on Saturday within the area, arose as a result of the attack.
Cultists attacked and killed a student of Kwara State University, Malete, on Friday.
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The statement said that four of the cultists were arrested and dangerous weapons recovered from the suspects.
It noted that some of the cultists were hiding at Lajolo area of Kwara Polytechnic Ilorin, where a similar attack was unleashed on one student named Idris Aderemi, at about 0600hrs on Saturday.
“This prompted the visit to the area by the STS team.
“Surprisingly, the cultists who were already in ambush, attacked the police team damaging the police Hummer bus, and inflicting a gunshot injury on the head of one police Sergeant, Adebayo Abdulahi, attached to the STS team.
“In the ensuing imbroglio, students in their numbers came out to block the road and prevented free flow of traffic and burning tyres on the road.
“The state Commissioner of Police, Tuesday Assayomo, immediately dispatched teams of policemen to the area to restore peace.
“However, two cultists, one Ahmed ‘m’ surname unknown, and one Musibau ‘m’ A.K.A Shaban, were arrested with one fabricated English pistol with 3 live ammunition, 2 live cartridges and one pistol magazine.
“The injured policeman and the suspects have been taken to the hospital for treatment.
“The commissioner of police, had however, advised members of the public to go about their lawful businesses without any fear of attack or intimidation,” the statement read in part.
It said calm has been totally restored in the affected area, while securitymen were on standby to forestall any further act of lawlessness.
Reacting to the development, the Polytechnic management described as misinformation that the institution’s campus was under siege by students’ protest.
The school’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Yunus Abdulkadir, explained that students of the institution were law abiding citizens and would not indulge in any illegal activity that would disrupt their academic careers.
“Meanwhile, the incident that occurred at Lajolo community early Saturday morning was between the police and Lajolo community and has nothing to do with the polytechnic students or the campus, as first semester CBT examinations are going on right now at the Campus without any disturbance.
“However, the management of the polytechnic has magnanimously accepted the plea of the students who could not make it to the campus before the blockage at Oyun.
“Their examinations will be rescheduled to another date, which will be communicated to them via their heads of the department,” the statement said.