Eight to ten gunmen, suspected to be members of a cult group, stormed an off-campus hostel housing students of Rivers State University in the early hours of Tuesday, unleashing terror on unsuspecting residents. Around 2:00 a.m., the assailants burst onto the premises in an isolated part of the Emuoha Local Government Area, Port Harcourt — opening fire into the air before abducting five students at gunpoint.
According to the State Police Command’s spokesperson, Superintendent of Police Grace Iringe-Koko, the incident bears all the hallmarks of a cultist attack. She confirmed that the victims were whisked away to an unknown destination, while tactical teams have been mobilized by the Commissioner of Police to mount a rescue operation.
One student who narrowly escaped described a scene of chaos: upon hearing what sounded like fireworks, she realised that gunmen had invaded the lodge; shots were fired, the security dog on duty killed, and screams filled the air as students scrambled for safety. “I couldn’t even look back because I was more focused on escaping,” she said. Her classmates, however, were not so lucky.
The abduction comes on the heels of a protest by off-campus students who had earlier raised concerns over repeated attacks and harassment by hoodlums in the area. In a pre-convocation briefing just a day before the incident, the Vice-Chancellor had ruled out relocating them to the main campus, assuring that security measures would be strengthened.
Two suspects have since been arrested in connection with the raid. Local authorities, including the Chairman of Emuoha Local Government Area, say the suspects will be charged in court soon — a move they hope will serve as a deterrent to others. Meanwhile, students, families, and the community at large wait anxiously as tactical teams continue the search to secure the safe release of the abducted students.
As this story develops, the demand for tighter security around student hostels and off-campus lodges in Rivers State grows louder — a heavy reminder of the dangerous reality many students face outside campus walls.
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