Three NDU students feared killed in cultists clash

No fewer than three undergraduates of the Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Amassomma, Bayelsa State, have been feared killed as a result of a clash between two rival cult groups on the campus.

The clash between AY and Vagas cult groups was said to have claimed the lives of the students ─ a 300 level engineering student and two final year students.

The alleged killings were said to have taken place before and during the school’s semester examinations which ended last week.

It was learnt that the unnamed 300 level student was inflicted with machete cuts.

The engineering student was said to have died in a private hospital at Amassoma in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state where he was taken to.

A student, who gave his name simply as Dan, claimed that a final year male student was also killed by a group of cultists who stormed the examination hall.

“The finalist was in the examination hall when the cultists, about eight in number, stormed the hall and shot him dead. They escaped after shooting sporadically into the air to scare other students,” Dan, who lives on the campus, said.

It was further learnt that the third victim was a lady. She was allegedly killed by a cult group prior to the commencement of exams which started penultimate week.

It was gathered that the school authorities, as part of the measures to tackle cult activities in the school, had beefed up security.

Efforts to get the school authorities to respond to the development did not yield results.

Calls to the institution’s spokesman, Mr. Domo Alagoa, rang out.

The text message sent to Alagoa’s phone was not responded to as of press time.

However, the police authorties said they did not have record of any killing in the university.

Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa Police Command, Mr. Hilary Opara, said there was cult activity in the school, but no life was lost.

He said the only sad incident was that a student was inflicted with machete cuts, but he did not die.

Opara said, “It is not true, not even one person died. There were some cult activities and during the process one of them was inflicted with machete cuts. The victim did not die.

“We are investigating the matter. As I speak to you, five cultists have been arrested. Others are still on the run.