By Emmanuel Kwada
A chilling wave of cult-related violence has once again gripped Lagos State, with the latest victim—a yet-to-be-identified student of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH)—gunned down in broad daylight on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
The brutal killing, which occurred near the campus’s back gate shortly after the student completed his examinations, has reignited fears over the escalating cult clashes plaguing the city.
Eyewitnesses reported a harrowing scene: a group of young men accosted the student as he left the examination hall, pulling out a firearm and shooting him twice at close range.
The assailants fled immediately, leaving the victim lifeless in a pool of blood. The audacity of the attack, executed in daylight near a bustling academic institution, has sent shockwaves through the YABATECH community and beyond.
The assailants fled immediately, leaving the victim lifeless in a pool of blood
The Lagos State Police Command swiftly responded, arresting seven suspects linked to the shooting. CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the command’s spokesperson, confirmed the incident as a suspected cult rivalry gone deadly.
“On Tuesday at about 3 p.m., a distress call was received at Sabo Division that a suspected cultist was allegedly shot dead by a group of suspected rival cult members in the Yaba area,” Hundeyin stated.
“A patrol team was mobilized to the scene, where the deceased was found with visible bullet wounds. Four rounds of live ammunition and charms were recovered from his pocket. The corpse has been evacuated to the morgue for autopsy.”
It happened so fast—no one could do anything
The police investigation points to a retaliatory strike in an ongoing feud between cult groups. Sources suggest the victim may have been armed, as a firearm was reportedly taken from him by the attackers, hinting at his possible involvement in the shadowy world of campus cultism.
Adekunle Adams, YABATECH’s spokesperson, was quick to distance the institution from the violence, noting, “The incident occurred outside the college, at a lounge nearby. There is no cult-related activity within our premises.”
This killing is not an isolated event but part of a disturbing trend. Just 24 hours earlier, on Monday, a 16-year-old boy named Mustapha lost his life to a stray bullet during a suspected cult clash in Oyingbo, Ebute Metta. Further afield, residents of Idimu awoke on Sunday to a grisly discovery: two men, one beheaded, lying dead along Oladun Road—victims of a late-night cult attack on Saturday. These incidents underscore a relentless surge in cult violence across Lagos, from Mushin to Abeokuta, leaving communities on edge.
Students and locals are reeling. “He had just finished his exams and was heading out when they shot him,” said one anonymous YABATECH student. “It happened so fast—no one could do anything.” Another added, “This looks like payback. Cult groups have been at each other’s throats here for weeks.” Indeed, posts on X indicate a prior clash on April 18 between the Eiye and Buccaneers cults near YABATECH, with this latest killing claimed by some as revenge for an earlier attack.
The police have vowed to clamp down on the perpetrators, but the rising body count—three in Lagos within days—has sparked outrage and despair. Parents, educators, and residents are demanding urgent action to stem the tide of cultism that threatens to engulf the city’s youth. For now, the YABATECH student’s death stands as a stark symbol of a broader crisis, one that Lagos can no longer ignore.
