Gunmen believed to be cultists have kidnapped about 5 college students of the Rivers State College, Nkpolu-Oroworukwu, Port Harcourt, at their off-campus residence in Emuoha Native Authorities Space of the state on Tuesday.
The event, it was gathered, has thrown the dad and mom of the College into fear.
Recall that college students leaving exterior the establishment’s Emuoha satellite tv for pc campus had final week protested the incessant assaults and harassment they face and referred to as on the varsity administration to relocate them to the primary campus in Port Harcourt.
Nonetheless, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, at a pre-convocation press briefing on Monday, stated the college would neither shut down the Emuoha campus nor relocate the scholars due to pockets of felony incidents there.
He stated acceptable measures are being taken, together with a city corridor assembly with the council authority and chiefs, different group stakeholders and safety businesses, to make sure the protection of its college students and employees residing within the space.
Whereas the final theft incident allegedly occurred in Rumuji, Tuesday’s abduction of 5 undergraduates got here on the heels of the VC’s assurances in Rumuchi/Rumuohia, additionally in Emuoha LGA.
Spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the kidnapping of the scholars, saying the assailants are cultists.
Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, stated the gun-wielding miscreants struck, taking pictures sporadically earlier than whisking the scholars to an unknown vacation spot, including that tactical police personnel have been deployed to make sure the scholars are rescued and suspects apprehended.
She acknowledged, “They had been kidnapped by cultists. Within the early hours of Tuesday, a bunch of cultists numbering 5 stormed an remoted space of Rumuchi/Rumuohia, shot and kidnapped 5 individuals to an unknown vacation spot.
“We (police) have put efforts in place for his or her protected rescue. As I communicate, the Commissioner of Police has gone there with tactical groups to make sure they regain their freedom.”
Earlier, a scholar who managed to flee whereas narrating the assault to newsmen stated the scholars went lacking after the gunmen stormed their residence within the wee hours (about 2 am), saying the armed assailants shot and killed the safety canine within the compound to allow them to function freely.
The distraught woman narrated that when she first heard the gunshot, she thought it was fireworks, however shortly realised it was actual.
She revealed that the attackers fired at her as she tried to flee from the scene, including that impulsively, the miscreant stopped, and one other assailant got here from the bush and chased after.
She stated, “He was working after me and even shot at me. I don’t know what number of instances. I couldn’t even look again as a result of I used to be extra targeted on escaping.
“So the particular person simply stopped and went again to my compound. Then somebody from the bush got here out and ran after me. I needed to run quicker to the gate of the one who was alleged to open it for me. A few of our college students, about 4 or so, are lacking now.”