Gunmen Abduct Five Rivers State University Students in Emuoha Attack

Gunmen attacked a student community in Emuoha, Rivers State, early Tuesday, abducting five students of Rivers State University from their off-campus residence. Residents said the armed men, believed to be cultists, stormed the Rumuchi/Rumuohia area, firing repeatedly before seizing the students and escaping into the surrounding bush.

The incident occurred just days after students living around the university’s Emuoha satellite campus protested frequent attacks and urged the school to move them back to the main campus in Port Harcourt. Despite the concerns, Vice Chancellor Isaac Zeb-Obipi had maintained during a pre-convocation briefing on Monday that the institution would not shut down the satellite campus, assuring that steps were being taken to strengthen security. He noted ongoing engagement with community leaders, local authorities, and security agencies to safeguard students and staff in the area.

State police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the abduction, describing the attackers as cultists. She said tactical units had been dispatched immediately, with the Commissioner of Police leading efforts on the ground to locate the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.