Tension has escalated around the Rivers State University (RSU) Emuoha satellite campus following the abduction of five students by suspected cultists in the early hours of Tuesday, barely a week after undergraduates staged a protest over rising insecurity in the area.
The incident occurred in an isolated part of Rumuchi/Rumuohia in Emuoha Local Government Area, where gunmen reportedly stormed an off-campus residence, shot indiscriminately, killed a security dog, and whisked away the students to an unknown location.
Spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe Koko, confirmed the attack, describing the assailants as cultists who operated “in a commando style.”
She said the Commissioner of Police had since deployed tactical units to track down the suspects and rescue the victims.
“Yes, I can confirm the incident. In the early hours of Tuesday, a group of cultists numbering five stormed an isolated area of Rumuchi/Rumuohia, shot and abducted five persons to an unknown destination,” she said.
A female student who managed to escape the scene recounted that she initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks but fled when she realised the attackers were armed.
She said one of the gunmen pursued and fired at her while several of her colleagues, “about four or so,” remained unaccounted for.
The kidnapping comes on the heels of growing agitation among students, who last week demanded relocation from the Emuoha satellite campus to RSU’s main campus in Port Harcourt, citing incessant attacks. However, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb Obipi, had on Monday ruled out shutting down the satellite campus, insisting the university was taking appropriate security measures, including engagements with community leaders and law enforcement.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Emuoha Local Government Area, Dr Chidi Lloyd, has announced the arrest of two suspects linked to the earlier attack on RSU students.
During a visit to the university’s main campus, he vowed that the satellite campus would remain operational and that perpetrators of the attacks would be prosecuted.
“The one that happened, we have also arrested two suspects. They are there in custody. They will be charged in court soon so that we can use them as examples for others not to try it. This campus must remain,” Lloyd said.
He alleged that the criminals were attempting to intimidate students into abandoning the area so that they could occupy it, adding, “It’s a strategy; when they frighten you, you leave, and they will come and take your place. We will not let these people succeed.”
The police and local authorities have assured that efforts are underway to secure the students’ release and restore safety to the affected community.
