Stray Bullet Kills Osun Graduate After Collecting NYSC Call-up Letter
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that a fresh graduate of the Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, identified simply as Taoreed, has been confirmed dead after being struck by a stray bullet during a violent cult clash in the community.
OTN News further reports as gathered that the incident occurred on Tuesday, September 23, barely hours after Taoreed had collected his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) call-up letter from the institution.
Eyewitnesses said the crisis began the previous day, Monday, September 22, when rival cult groups clashed near the school premises during a signing-out celebration for final-year students. Gunshots reportedly rang out during the event, forcing many students to flee in panic.
A student of the institution, who pleaded anonymity, recalled the chaos, saying, “we were signing out after our exams in the afternoon when we suddenly started hearing gunshots outside the school premises. Everyone ran for cover. It was later that we discovered that a final-year student had been killed by cultists. It was a terrible situation.”
The student noted that similar violence occurred during last year’s sign-out celebrations, raising concerns about recurring insecurity around the school during such gatherings.
Videos from the scene showed students scampering for safety as gunshots echoed around the main gate of the institution.
According to a police source on Thursday, Taoreed’s death resulted from a reprisal attack that took place along the Ilesa–Esa-Oke Road the following day.
The source revealed that the deceased was at a bus stop, preparing to head home after collecting his call-up letter, when gunmen suddenly opened fire.
“The cultists had targeted their rivals in the area where Taoreed was trying to board a bus. They started shooting, and one of the stray bullets hit him. He ran for safety without realising he had been shot. He was later found in a nearby bush, unresponsive,” the source explained.
His NYSC call-up letter was later recovered from a black cross bag he carried at the time of the incident.
Confirming the development, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, described the incident as a cult-related clash that claimed two lives.
“It was a cult clash. Two students were killed. One died on the spot, and the other died in the hospital. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the perpetrators,” Ojelabi stated.
The tragic death of Taoreed has thrown the institution and the Esa-Oke community into mourning, with many students expressing fear over the growing menace of cult-related violence around campuses.
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