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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....

The admission committee of the Lucknow University (LU) India had lately been wracking its brains over an exceptional case - whether or not to induct a 10-year-old girl in its BSc course.
    After some serious deliberation, the panel concluded that since Sushma Verma had already cleared her matriculation and intermediate examinations, she was entitled to study graduation courses.
    Sushma's track record has been consistently stunning. She cleared class X with 59 per cent marks from the UP Board in 2007, when she was only seven. This year, she passed the intermediate exam with 62 per cent marks from St Miraj Inter College.
    Her admission to the LU was initially withheld because of her age. However, she moved an application before the committee, urging it to reconsider the decision because she didn't want to waste a year and miss the academic session of 2010. "There is no specific mention of the minimum age limit in the rule book of the university. So, Sushma can be given admission," the committee observed, responding to her plea.
    According to university spokesperson S.K. Dwivedi, the committee was of the unanimous opinion that such students should be encouraged."While deciding Sushma's case, we have reached the conclusion that such students who have cleared their intermediate this year with good marks should be admitted for graduation courses," Dwivedi said. "Their age shouldn't be a bar. In fact, it is a proud moment for us to have a 10-year-old undergraduate who is confident of excelling in life," he added.
    Sushma's achievement is all the more creditable because she comes from a family which has limited means. Her father Tej Bahadur is a daily wager at the school she completed her intermediate course from.
    Sushma's brother Shailendra Verma, too, is a child prodigy, having secured admission in LU's Bachelor of Computer Applications course in 2009, when he was only 14.
    He, however, opted for a career in website development. "My son is doing something extra- ordinary. Big companies have hired him to tweak their websites," Shailendra's homemaker mother Chhaya Verma said. "My daughter will take admission in the CMS Girl's Degree College, which is affiliated to the LU. She has opted for zoology, botany and chemistry," Bahadur. a class eight dropout, said. "At the same time, she is preparing for medical entrance tests. Sushma wants to become a doctor," he added.
    Not only is Sushma a budding talent, the wonder kid is grounded as well. "There is nothing extraordinary about us. It is just that my brother and I take our education seriously. This is because my father is a dropout and mother unlettered. My dream is to open a hospital to treat poor people free of cost," she said humbly.
    St Miraj's principal Anita Ratra was full of praise for her. " She is an excellent student with a special flair for graphics. She secured a first division in her Class XII exams," Ratra said.

Previously:

Youngest matriculate Lucknow, June 5 A seven-and-a-half year-old city girl, daughter of a daily labourer, created a record today by becoming India’s youngest matriculate. Sushma Verma, born in February 2000, cleared the Uttar Pradesh Board High School examination today by securing 354 marks out of 600, missing a first division by a meagre six marks. A seven-and-a-half year-old city girl, daughter of a daily labourer, created a record today by becoming India’s youngest matriculate. Sushma Verma, born in February 2000, cleared the Uttar Pradesh Board High School examination today by securing 354 marks out of 600, missing a first division by a meagre six marks. Verma, who secured 58 marks in Hindi, 60 in English, 66 in maths, 63 in science, 68 in social science and 39 in computers, said she was happy for achieving the honour, but felt sad at the same time for failing to secure first division due to her poor performance in computers. The record for the youngest matriculate was held so far by Patna’s Tathagat Avatar Tulsi, who accomplished the feat when he was nine years of age. She appeared in the board examination amid media attention, which had worried her school, St. Meera’s Inter College, that her attention might get diverted, but she “excelled in the examinations as expected,” school manager Vinod Kumar said. Sushma had secured direct admission to Class IX last year, following permission given by the secondary education department. Before this she had studied at home. Her father Tej Bahadur Verma, a daily wage labourer, and mother Chhaya, a housewife, are happy at the rare feat. She is, however, not the only such genius in her family. Her brother Shailendra had passed Class XII at the age of 11 and cleared the Scholastic Assessment Test and Test of English as a foreign language. He secured admission to a US university but could not go owing to monetary problems. — PTI