A young graduate of the Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, simply identified as Taoreed, has lost his life after being struck by a stray bullet during a violent clash between rival cult groups in the community.

The incident occurred on Tuesday, September 23, shortly after Taoreed collected his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) call-up letter from the school.

Eyewitnesses said the violence began the previous day, Monday, September 22, when suspected cultists clashed near the school premises during the signing-out celebration of final-year students. The confrontation reportedly left a student dead and sent others running for safety.

A student, who pleaded anonymity, recounted:
“We were signing out after our exams in the afternoon when we suddenly started hearing gunshots outside the campus. Everyone scampered for safety. Later, we learnt that a final-year student had been killed. It was a frightening experience.”

He added that similar incidents had occurred during past celebrations, describing cult violence as a recurring threat to students’ safety.

A video circulating online captured students fleeing in panic as gunshots rang out around the school gate.

According to a police source, Taoreed’s death happened the following day during a reprisal attack along the Ilesa–Esa-Oke Road. He was said to have been waiting to board a bus home after collecting his call-up letter when gunmen opened fire in the area.

“What happened was a retaliation after the student was killed on Monday. The cultists targeted their rivals around where Taoreed was standing. In the chaos, a stray bullet struck him. He attempted to run for safety but collapsed in a nearby bush. Sadly, he was found lifeless,” the source explained.

His NYSC call-up letter was later discovered inside the black cross bag he carried at the time of the attack.

Confirming the development, 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 lost their lives—one on the spot and the other later at the hospital. Efforts are ongoing to track down the culprits,” Ojelabi said.