The Management of the University of Calabar has tightened security around and within the institution following the killing of two students by gunmen in a suspected renewed wave of secret cults groups’ clash on campus last week.

Besides the directives of the Vice Chancellor as Head of Management that police patrol teams be stationed at the main gate of the Institution and the Internal Security Team at other strategic parts of Campus, random stop and search of persons and vehicles at vulnerable point it was observed has been intensified.

A release issued by the Registrar of the Institution, Mr. Moses Abang, indicated that the patrolling/combing exercise had paid off with the arrest of 11 suspected cultists who have been handed over to the Anti-Cultism/ Kidnapping Unit of the Nigeria Police, Cross River State Command for further interrogation.

According to the release, on March 16, 2018, gunmen launched unsuspecting attacks on one Oko Sylvester Ayide a.k.a Davido, a final year student of the Department of Theatre, Film and Carnival Studies, University of Calabar and Wilson Augustine Ebina, a second year student of the Department of Education Science (Chemistry Education) in a violent manner that resulted in their death.

“Investigation revealed that Prior to his death, Oko Sylvester who was shot on the stomach has been on suspension for his involvement in various acts of cultism and robbery while Wilson Ebina was shot dead at a building under construction opposite the Faculty of Education Twin Theatre Hall. Both are said to belong to the Vikings Confraternity.

“In a related development, a final year student of the Faculty of Law and resident of Hall 4, Nkanu, Augustine Ebri (Abacha) and Obimbua Obey Joseph (a.k.a Obe), also a final year student of the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences are on the run following the discovery of dangerous items in Nkanu’s room by operatives of the Security Unit of the University.

“Items recovered from the room include one locally made pistol, one small axe, one face mask, live and expended cartridges, military camouflage, military sweater, one long dagger, one machete, assorted bottles of concoctions, Charms/finger rings, assorted phones, cult regalia, drugs/wraps of Indian Hemp and a host of others.

“The dangerous items have been handed over to the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Nigeria Police, Cross River State Command for further investigation,” it read. (The Nation)

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