YABATECH Student Dies After Alleged Stray Gunfire During Security Operation

Balogun Sultan, a National Diploma II student of the remote learning programme at Yaba College of Technology, has died after reportedly being struck by stray gunfire during a security operation in Lagos.

The incident occurred on Tuesday as Sultan was returning home after completing an examination. According to classmates, students in the programme typically come to campus briefly for in-person lectures ahead of exams before returning home.

Sources said Sultan had finished a Research Methods assessment and boarded a vehicle from the WAEC bus stop en route to Lagos Island, where he lived. What should have been a routine trip home reportedly turned fatal.

Eyewitness accounts indicate that soldiers had been deployed to the area following reports of a possible cult-related clash. During the operation, gunshots were fired, and Sultan was allegedly hit in the crossfire.

Videos from the scene showed residents fleeing as gunfire echoed. Bystanders were said to have attempted first aid, using clothing to stem the bleeding while praying for his survival.

He was rushed to the Military Hospital Yaba, where he underwent emergency chest surgery. Despite medical efforts, he did not survive.

Friends and classmates described Sultan as quiet, focused, and dedicated to his studies. His death has left many on campus shaken, with students struggling to process how an ordinary exam day ended in tragedy.