Stray Bullet Kills Osun Graduate After NYSC Call-Up

Tragedy struck in Esa-Oke, Osun State, after a fresh graduate of the Osun State College of Technology, identified as Taoreed, was killed by a stray bullet during a cult clash barely 24 hours after receiving his NYSC call-up letter.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, September 23, was said to be a fallout of a violent clash between rival cult groups that began a day earlier during a signing-out celebration for final-year students.

A student of the institution, who spoke under anonymity, said the campus community had been thrown into chaos on Monday, September 22, when suspected cultists shot and killed a final-year student, forcing hundreds to flee for safety.

“We were signing out when suddenly gunshots rang out. Everyone ran for cover. Later, we discovered a student had been killed,” the witness said.

The violence reportedly continued the next day. A police source told PUNCH Metro that Taoreed was hit while waiting by the roadside along the Ilesa–Esa-Oke Road, moments after collecting his call-up letter.

“It was a reprisal. The cultists targeted rivals in the area where Taoreed stood to board a bus. Gunfire broke out, and a stray bullet hit him. He ran for cover but later collapsed in a bush nearby. His call-up letter was found in his bag,” the source said.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, described it as a cult clash that left two students dead.

“One died on the spot, while the other died later in the hospital. We are working to apprehend the perpetrators,” he said.

The killing has reignited concerns over cult-related violence around Nigerian tertiary institutions. In June, a similar confrontation between the Eiye and Aye confraternities near the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, reportedly left one person dead and several others injured.