Gunmen Suspected to Be Cultists Kidnap Five RSU Students in Rivers

Unidentified gunmen suspected to be cultists have kidnapped at least five students of the Rivers State University, RSU, Nkpolu-Oroworukwu, Port Harcourt.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at the students’ off-campus residence in Emuoha Local Government Area of the state.

InfoStride News recalls that students residing around the institution’s Emuoha satellite campus had, last week, protested frequent attacks and harassment by criminals.

They urged the school management to relocate them to the university’s main campus in Port Harcourt.

However, at a pre-convocation press briefing on Monday, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Isaac Zeb-Obipi, dismissed the possibility of closing down the Emuoha campus or relocating students due to what he described as “pockets of criminal incidents.”

He said the university was engaging community leaders, council authorities, and security agencies, and convening a town hall meeting to enhance security for students and staff living in the area.

Confirming the abduction, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the attackers were identified as cultists.

Iringe-Koko said the armed men stormed the area in the early hours of Tuesday, shooting sporadically before whisking the victims away to an unknown destination. She added that tactical police teams had been deployed to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students.

“They were abducted by cultists. 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.

“We have put efforts in place for their safe rescue. As I speak, the Commissioner of Police has gone there with tactical teams to ensure they regain their freedom,” she said.