A male student at Ajayi Crowther University in Oyo, Oyo State, has been allegedly beaten to death by a group of students inside the Shepherd Inn hostel on campus for reportedly stealing a mobile phone.

Reports indicate that the attackers also forcibly shaved the victim’s hair after catching him with the stolen phone.

A source from the university, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, informed our correspondent that the assault began at 6 pm on Friday and continued until about 10 am on Saturday.

“They said they caught him with a stolen phone. They started beating him from 6 pm yesterday (Friday) until he died at about 10 am today (Saturday). The incident happened at ‘Shepherd Inn,’ which is like a lodge or a hostel now. They also shaved the guy’s hair before beating him,” the source said.

Two videos shared with our correspondent on Saturday night show the deceased rolling on the hostel floor while other students beat him with sticks. In one of the recordings, a student is heard encouraging another to hit the victim “harder, harder.”

The university management confirmed the incident in a statement by spokesperson Femi Atoyebi, published by the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday. The statement indicated that the students involved in the alleged crime had been expelled and handed over to the police for prosecution.

Atoyebi stated, “Contrary to what is trending, the university affirms that there is no cultism in the institution, just as the university has zero tolerance for any sort of anti-societal vices and misconduct. It is important to stress that the expelled students do not belong to any cult group.”