Edo — Fifty-nine students of Auchi Polytechnic in Edo State have renounced their membership of secret cults and vowed not to go back.

A breakdown of the figure shows that the Black Axe cult had 17; the Supreme Vikings and Aye Confratenity, 15 each; the Hood of the Scorpion, two, and the Warlord cult, one.

Speaking after the renunciation, Sir Ohimai Eboreme, the Rector of the polytechnic, said that the move by students was the first phase, stressing that that of the lecturers would be the second phase.

"Everything must be done publicly," he said, explaining that the polytechnic was criticised for organising what he described as boardroom renunciation for the lecturers last year.

Eboreime appealed to the entire polytechnic community to receive those involved with open arms and pledged to review the cases of all expelled and rusticated students who had publicly renounced their membership.

The rector, however, said that the review would be on merit and warned that anyone caught a second time would not be spared.

He said that the polytechnic authorities were monitoring the activities of all the concerned students as well as every other student of the institution.

The highlight of the ceremony was the confession of one Douglas, who claimed that he killed two persons during his days in the cult and the recovery of charms, weeds and assorted regalia from the cultists.