Barely 24 hours after Rivers State University’s (RSU) Vice Chancellor reaffirmed the safety of students at the institution’s Emuoha satellite campus, five undergraduates were kidnapped from their off-campus residence in the early hours of Tuesday, casting immediate doubt on the assurances offered by the school management.
The attack occurred at Rumuchi/Rumuohia in Emuoha Local Government Area, where gunmen believed to be cultists stormed a cluster of student lodges around 2 am, shooting sporadically before forcefully taking the victims to an unknown destination.
The assailants reportedly killed the compound’s security dog to gain access, operating with minimal resistance.
Police spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the abductions, describing the perpetrators as a five-man gang of armed cultists.
“Upon receiving the report, the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, PSC, and other service commanders of the State visited the scene of the incident for an on-the-spot assessment,” Iringe-Koko noted.
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She said the Commissioner of Police had already deployed tactical teams to the area with a mandate to rescue the students and track down the attackers.
“The CP has mandated the Area Commander alongside all tactical units, and Joint Tasksforce to intensify efforts, ensure the safe rescue of the abducted victims, and apprehend the perpetrators,” she stated.
The incident came on the heels of protests by students last week over growing insecurity around the Emuoha campus.
Many had appealed to the university to relocate them to the main campus in Port Harcourt, citing repeated robberies, harassment, and violent attacks.
However, at a pre-convocation briefing on Monday, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, dismissed relocation as an option, characterising the criminal incidents as “pockets of attacks” that the university was actively addressing through engagements with local authorities and security agencies.
But Tuesday’s abduction has intensified criticism from students and parents who now question the effectiveness of the university’s security plans.
A female student who escaped the attackers recounted her ordeal, saying she initially mistook the gunshot for fireworks before realising the compound had been invaded. “They fired at me while I ran,” she said. “I didn’t look back… I just kept running.”
CP Adepoju, however urged the members of the public to “remain calm and continue to support the Police with credible information that will aid ongoing investigations.’
