Gunmen suspected to be members of a cult group abducted five students of Rivers State University during a violent overnight attack on an off-campus lodge, amplifying concerns about the rising insecurity around the institution’s Emuoha satellite campus.
The armed group reportedly stormed the students’ residence in the early hours, firing repeatedly before seizing the undergraduates and disappearing into the surrounding bush paths.
Residents described the assault as sudden and overwhelming, noting that the attackers moved with precision and confidence.
Details later emerged that the abduction happened shortly after the university leadership dismissed calls to relocate students from the area following weeks of complaints about robberies and harassment.
Last week, students living near the satellite campus had staged a protest, warning that their safety was deteriorating rapidly.
Moreover, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, had insisted during a pre-convocation press briefing that academic activities at the Emuoha campus would continue despite “isolated criminal incidents”.
He explained that the school was working with local authorities and security agencies to strengthen community surveillance.
“We are tightening every loose end to protect our students,” he had said.
However, Tuesday’s incident unfolded barely 24 hours after that assurance. It came on the heels of another reported robbery in Rumuji Community, deepening concerns that criminal networks are growing bolder around the area.
Police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the abduction, stating that early intelligence pointed to a cult gang as the perpetrators.
She noted that tactical units had already been deployed for a rescue operation.
“The command is fully engaged. The Commissioner of Police is on the ground with our operatives to secure their release,” Iringe-Koko said, stressing that the students’ safe return remained the top priority.
One female student who narrowly escaped the attack recounted the ordeal with trembling clarity. She said the gunmen killed the lodge’s guard dog before breaking into rooms.
At first, she mistook the initial gunshot for fireworks until the sound intensified.
“I realised it was real when the bullets started flying,” she explained.
“They shot at me as I ran. I didn’t look back because I was just trying to survive. When one of them stopped chasing me, another came out from the bush and continued the pursuit.”
She eventually found safety after sprinting to a nearby compound. Moments later, she confirmed that several of her colleagues had vanished. “About four or five of our students didn’t make it out,” she added.
Furthermore, the incident has reignited concerns among parents, students and local advocacy groups, many of whom argue that the insecurity around the satellite campus is no longer episodic but systemic.
Authorities say search efforts are ongoing, while university officials are expected to meet community leaders again in a bid to prevent further violence.
As the rescue mission intensifies, residents fear that unless decisive action is taken, more students may become targets in the troubled Emuoha axis.