* As police arrest 12 more suspects

By Demola Akinyemi

ILORIN—Authorities of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, yesterday denied death of any student and clash of cult groups on campus.
This came as Kwara State Police Command said it had arrested additional 12 persons in connection with the cult clash.

It will be recalled that Aye and Eiye confraternities reportedly clashed last week in Ilorin metropolis, leading to the death of 16 cult members.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, the Deputy Rector, Administration, Engineer Ahmed Aminu, who spoke on behalf of the rector of the institution, said there was no cult clash on the campus.

He said the polytechnic finished its examinations for 2014/2015 academic session on August 8 without hitches, adding that circulars were issued about the conclusion of the session and that students should vacate the campus.

He said the students vacated campus accordingly.

Aminu, who said that lecturers of the school were currently busy with conference marking exercise, which he said the institution adopted to mark students’ examination papers, explained that since the exercise was a sensitive one, no student was allowed to stay.

He also denied that the clash on the campus happened during screening of candidates for the election of the school’s Students Union Government, adding the exercise was witnessed by security operatives, including the Police, Civil Defence and DSS and that it was peaceful.

“We wish to tell the public and media that it is not true that there was a cult clash on our campus,” he said.

Aminu, also claimed that if there was any clash as claimed in the reports, it had no link with any student of the polytechnic.

Meanwhile, the police command in the state said yesterday that 12 more suspects had been arrested in connection with the cult clashes.

This is in addition to the 30 arrested on Monday in the aftermath of the clashes.