LASU DENIES CULT ATTACKS AT POCO LEE HOMECOMING PARTY

By Ayodele Moyin

Lagos State University (LASU) has released a statement refuting claims of cult attacks during the "Party with Poco Lee (Homecoming Concert)" that took place on July 13, 2023. In the official statement, LASU strongly denied the circulating reports, describing them as false and misleading.

While acknowledging regret over the altercations that occurred, the university management expressed regret over the altercations that occurred but emphasized that the narrative being spread on social media is baseless and without foundation. LASU clarified that there were no physical assaults on the performing artists, including Bella Shmurda and Poco Lee, and Bella Shmurda himself confirmed this on his social media channels, providing credibility to the statement.

While acknowledging regret over the altercations that occurred, LASU clarified that there were no physical assaults on the performing artists, including Bella Shmurda and Poco Lee. Bella Shmurda himself reaffirmed this on his social media accounts, adding credibility to the statement. The university management clarified that while some minor incidents took place among the audience, the allegations of fights and cult clashes are baseless and without foundation.

"For the record, we wish to debunk claims of physical attacks on either the artists who came to perform or students by cultists being spread about. We state unequivocally that at no point was Bella Shmurda or Polo Lee or any other artist attacked. Bella himself has validated this on his social media channels.

While there were indeed pockets of squabbles among revelers as to be expected in such a show, reports of fight break out or cult clashes are nothing but fallacies."

According to the press release, the commotion that arose towards the end of the event was primarily a result of the students' enthusiasm to witness one of their own perform live on campus. The university cited logistical and planning issues by the independent entertainment organizers, leading to inadequate crowd control measures.

The press release explains that the event organizers had sold tickets online, instructing attendees to collect physical tickets at the venue. However, the number of students present exceeded the available tickets, resulting in overcrowding and prompting intervention from the LASU security team, aided by other security agencies.

While effective crowd control was eventually established, the presence of local celebrities among the student body contributed to heightened excitement and some disorderliness. Concerned about the potential exploitation of the situation by criminal elements, the security team made the decision to prematurely conclude the show and disperse the crowd at approximately 5:30 pm. Importantly, there is no substantiated evidence of any cult-related incidents.

LASU management urged the public to exercise caution and vigilance against the dissemination of false information, particularly at a time when the university is receiving national and international recognition for its recent accomplishments. Emphasizing LASU's firm stance against cultism, the university highlighted that no cult activities have been reported on campus for several years.

The President of the Lagos State University Students' Union, Agoro Abdulrahman Oreoluwa, publicly apologized for the recent concert held on campus. In his address, President Agoro acknowledged any negative impact caused by the event and expressed sincere regret to the student body. Assuring the students, he took responsibility for any inconvenience, disruption, or discomfort experienced during the July 13th concert.

The university expressed gratitude to those who raised concerns regarding the incident and reiterated its commitment to prioritizing the safety of students and staff.