There was confusion on Tuesday in the amphitheatre area of the University of Lagos after a yet-to-be identified youth was shot dead.PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident happened around 9pm while some students were relaxing in the area.
The amphitheatre is a place where some students of the varsity hold religious and social meetings, while others have sporting and academic activities.
An undergraduate of the institution, Kayode Odeowo, told our correspondent that there were students at the popular spot when the incident happened.
He said, “There were a lot of people there on Tuesday night. The guy was also with a lady and they were having fun. He was taking selfies and drinking away.
“A group of guys showed up and there was an exchange of words between them. Then they dared him to stay if he was man enough.
“Some people quickly left the place, but he still waited. Before anybody realised what was happening, there was a sound of gunshot.
“He was shot in the neck and he fell down. The girl beside him fainted.”
It was learnt that in the ensuing confusion, frightened students ran into the school’s Protestant’s chapel, which was opposite the scene of the incident.
A student of the school, who did not identify himself, said his classmate who was also around fled, leaving behind her phone and other personal effects.
When our correspondent visited the scene of the incident on Wednesday, he was told that some security operatives of the school had taken away the corpse.
PUNCH Metro was told that the victim was sitting on the topmost part of the arena.
A bottle of unfinished soft drink and a covered plastic plate of rice were sighted at the exact spot where blood stains dotted the ground.
A student, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told our correspondent the yet-to-be-identified youth was killed because he was among those contesting the position for the Sports Secretary of the University of Lagos Student Union, ULSU.
He said, “I learnt he was killed by some guys who wanted to take his place as the Sports Secretary of ULSU.”
Another student of the school, Oduyemi Gboko, said it was a case of cult attack.
When our correspondent contacted the Head of the Information Unit of UNILAG, Olagoke Oke, he denied that the victim was a student.
He said the deceased was trailed into the university from the Yaba College of Technology.
He said, “He was a young man, no doubt about that, but he was not our student. He was trailed from Yabatech into the campus where he was shot.
“Investigation is ongoing and we have increased our security measures to forestall a recurrence.”
On the claim that the youth was an aspirant for a position in ULSU, Awopeju Idowu, an undergraduate of UNILAG and the head of the campaign committee of a presidential aspirant, said there was no truth in the claim.
He said, “I have it on good authority that the man was not our student.
“I can tell you categorically that it was not connected with the students union election as erroneously and regrettably being widely speculated. I have spoken with highly credible sources who have told me he had no business in the University of Lagos.”
The spokesperson for Yabatech, Mr. Charles Oni, said he was not aware of the incident, adding that the deceased could not have been a student of the school.
He added, “If he were our student, we would have heard. We have been in the office since morning and no information like that has been received. I wouldn’t know why everybody is just spreading false information about our school.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, said the police were working to apprehend those behind the act.
“He was killed inside the sports arena. He was first rushed to the UNILAG medical centre where he was confirmed dead.
“His identity has not been ascertained, but the corpse has been deposited in the morgue. Efforts are on to unravel his killers and the circumstances that led to his gruesome murder,” he said.
