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The glamorous lovers’ day celebration on Monday turned bloody at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) when gunmen killed two students. Daily Sun gathered that the clash was between two rival cult groups, namely, Black Axe and the Buccaneers,’ over a female student allegedly snatched by the Capone of the Black Axe for Valentine celebration.

The action of the Capone , the source said did not go down well with the other group leading to the clash.
A student who witnessed the shooting said besides the two cult members who were shot dead, about four others sustained injuries and were ferried out of the campus by their leaders to shield their identity.

The sources said the cult members who carried out the attack were not UNILAG students but members from another campus, adding that the attack was carried out in a commando style with sporadic shooting.
An undergraduate student of English Department told Daily Sun that the Buccaneers’ group attacked the Black Axe members while another student returning from the Mosque said those who carried out the killing were not from UNILAG because they did not cover their faces.

It was learnt that as soon the shooting started, students scampered for safety while others took cover behind the wall and under cars packed around, while others ran into the halls to avoid being hit by stray bullets. 
A senior lecturer who confirmed the killings said the university management had met to curtail any reprisal attack while security personnel had taken over the investigation of the deadly cult clash.
When Daily Sun visited the troubled institution yesterday, there was uneasy calm, as most staff and students rebuffed efforts made by the reporters to get their comments.

However, one of the students who resides at Sodeinde Hall, said there was sporadic gunshots outside the premises which caused panic everywhere. 
It was gathered that the crisis, which erupted when the students were at the peak of lovers’ day celebration, created stampede on the campus as people ran for safety.

One of the victims of the attack reportedly ran into Sodeinde Hall for help, from where he was taken to the hospital.
Although the Hall Master of Sodeinde Hall declined comments on the issue, one of the officials, who wouldn’t want his name published, said the attack could not be linked to any cult group. He said there was increasing speculation that the perpetrators of the attack could be fighting for love. Efforts made by Daily Sun our reporter to ascertain the identities of the victims were unsuccessful.
The news bulletin of the university, Information Flash (ISSN 08195540) also captured the incident, while assuring the staff and students of the university of adequate security.

“The attention of the universities authorities has been drawn to the incident which occurred in one of the Halls of Residence in the late hours of Monday, February 14, 2011 where two persons were reportedly injured in fracas. The university management has commenced investigation into the unusual incident, in particular at a time when preparation for the first semester examinations due to commence on February 21, 2011 are in top gear. Security has been intensified to ensure safety of life and property on campus. Law enforcement agents have been involved to assist the university in this respect,” it said. 
Daily Sun learnt that students are leaving the campus because of the fear of reprisal attack while some parents called their wards on phone to return home until the situation is brought under control. 

The Deputy Registrar Information of UNILAG, Mr. Dare Adebisi refused to pick his calls or replied to text message sent to his phone.
When the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Samuel Jinadu (DSP) was called thrice, he promised to contact the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area and did not call back as at the press time....

Aba, the economic nerve centre of Abia State, is almost a ghost of itself with schools and banks closed, as the siege on the city and its adjoining local governments by kidnappers, continue. There is growing uncertainty over the early release of the 15 school children abducted on Monday on their way to school..

The Abia state Commissioner of Police, Jonathan Johnson, however, said the closure of banks was a panic measure that did not reflect the real security situation in the city, adding that there were enough security personnel posted to each of the banks in the city.

Throughout the metropolis, as well as the Ogbor hill and Umungasi areas of Aba, there is a near absence of school buses that usually run through the streets to pick school children, and the few that were seen were without pupils, as their parents were afraid of sending them to school. Virtually every private school in the city has voluntarily closed.

There were also no march past rehearsals in the schools that were open as was the case in most of the schools last week, in preparation for our nations golden jubilee celebration.

One of the proprietors of the schools visited, who closed her school yesterday, said it was sad that the government has shown no commensurate interest in the safety of the kids the same way they did when the four journalists were kidnapped. She expressed wonder that the government could not buy tracking equipment for the police since they know that kidnapping in Aba has become endemic and sophisticated, rather than engaging in an amnesty that will not work, as the kidnappers are mere criminals who might not embrace the programme.

“This amnesty thing will not work. These are armed robbers who are into kidnapping because it is an easier way of picking their millions without sweat,” she said.

Fighting talk

Meanwhile, the heavy presence of soldiers was noticed in Aba on Thursday, especially along the Port Harcourt Express Road, an indication that the government might possibly go on the offensive against the hoodlums.

In a broadcast to the state, the governor, Theodore Orji, assured the parents of the kidnapped children that his administration, in conjunction with the federal government, was doing everything in their power to ensure that the young victims are released quickly and safely to rejoin their parents, teachers and friends.

He emphasised that his government is determined to stop this trend of kidnapping in Abia State. “Despite attempts to build a theory of intentions around the incidents of kidnapping in Abia State, our view now is that these kidnappers are not reacting to any realistic issues that are of utmost importance to their societies or to the state,” he said.

“These kidnappers are mere gold diggers, whose resolution and trade ambition is to make easy money and to secure the betterment of themselves alone, and so the government will not allow a few disgruntled elements in criminal garb to hold the entire state hostage. Government has been challenged, and we have decided to take the utmost measure available to implement the might and weight of government’s forces.”

Meanwhile, the police have raided the camps of some suspected kidnappers in Ukwa West area of the state. However, the kidnappers had escaped before the arrival of the police.