Gunshots disrupted activities at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Rivers State on Monday. Suspected members of rival cult groups clashed on campus, forcing students to run for safety.
According to The Punch, the confrontation involved suspected members of the Vikings and Clansmen confraternities. It broke out during the university’s ongoing Students’ Union Government Week at the Rumuolumeni campus in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Although the immediate cause of the clash was unclear, videos circulating online showed students fleeing as gunshots rang out across the campus. Academic activities were temporarily disrupted. Some students left the university while others took refuge in classrooms and hostels.
Police later confirmed that no lives were lost.
Police confirm Rivers varsity cult clash
Rivers State Police Command spokesperson Blessing Agabe said officers responded quickly after receiving a distress call. As a result, they brought the situation under control.
“It was a clash between two cult groups. The police responded promptly and arrived at the scene in good time, successfully bringing the situation under control,” she said.
Agabe also dismissed suggestions that police officers fired the shots heard during the confrontation.
“No shots were fired by the police, as the officers only took proactive measures necessary to contain and arrest the situation. No lives were lost,” she said.
She added that members of the rival groups fled before they could be arrested. Meanwhile, investigations had begun to identify those involved.
“Members of the groups fled the scene, while investigation is ongoing to identify and apprehend those involved,” Agabe said.
Activists raise concerns over campus security
The incident has renewed concerns about security at the state-owned university, with rights activists calling for stronger measures against cultism.
Port Harcourt-based activist Charles Jaja described the gunfire as an indication that the university needed to rethink its approach to campus security.
“Yesterday’s gunshot at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education is a sad reminder of what a university ought not to be,” Jaja said.
He argued that the institution should rely more heavily on enforcement, intelligence gathering and swift sanctions. Institutions should apply these against students or groups linked to violence.
“At a time a university which is supposed to be a place for character building, research and learning has now become a theater for cultism and violence. This is unacceptable,” he added.
‘Repeated clashes could scare parents’
Another rights activist, Prince Wiro, also expressed concern over what he described as repeated cult-related incidents in and around the university.
“There have been reported cases of cult clashes in and around the university in the last one year before the latest incident on Monday,” he said.
Wiro warned that repeated violence could damage confidence in the institution’s ability to protect students.
“Such repeated incidents suggest the security arrangements in the institution may not be adequate. It will also erode confidence of parents on the security architecture of the University,” he said.
He called on the Rivers State Government to engage the university leadership on measures to strengthen security both within and around the campus.
Police say investigations are continuing as authorities work to identify the suspected cult members involved in Monday’s clash.
