By Amanda Chinyere, Portharcourt
Five undergraduates of Rivers State University (RSU) were abducted in the early hours of Tuesday from their off-campus residence in Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State, in what police have described as a cult-related attack.
The students, who lived close to the university’s Emuoha satellite campus, were seized during a violent raid that has intensified fears over persistent insecurity around the area.
Eyewitnesses said the armed men invaded the lodge at dawn, firing shots indiscriminately and killing a security dog before taking the students to an unknown location.
A student who escaped the attack recounted the terrifying moment the gunmen struck, saying she initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks.
“I had to run faster to the gate of the person who was supposed to open it for me. I couldn’t even look back; I was focused on escaping,” she said, visibly shaken.
The incident comes just days after RSU students protested over growing harassment, robberies and cult-related violence around the Emuoha campus. During the protest, they demanded relocation to the university’s main campus in Port Harcourt, citing recurring threats to their safety.
However, RSU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, had insisted that academic activities would continue in Emuoha, assuring that security measures would be reinforced in partnership with local stakeholders and security agencies.
Confirming Tuesday’s abduction, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said tactical units had been deployed to ensure the safe rescue of the students and to track down the perpetrators.
Residents described the attack as one of the most daring in recent times and called for urgent intervention to prevent further criminal activities in the community.
The kidnapping has heightened anxiety among students living off-campus, with many now reconsidering their accommodation plans amid renewed concerns over their safety.
