-
Rivers State University students kidnapped from off-campus residence amid rising cult attacks.
-
14 passengers abducted in Imo after gunmen hijaked Aba-bound commercial bus.
-
Reps demand action as five policemen killed in Bauchi community ambush.
No fewer than 19 people, including five students of Rivers State University (RSU) and 14 passengers travelling through Imo State, were abducted in separate gunmen attacks on Tuesday, heightening security fears across both states.
The abducted students were taken from their off-campus residence near the Emohua Satellite Campus after suspected cultists stormed the area around 2am, shooting sporadically and killing the security dog before whisking away the victims.
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
One student who escaped said the gunmen pursued him and fired repeatedly as he fled towards the gate.
“Some of our students, about four or so, are missing now,” he said.
The incident occurred days after off-campus students protested increasing harassment by cult groups and urged the school management to relocate them to the main Port Harcourt campus for safety.
But at a pre-convocation briefing on Monday, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi dismissed any plan to shut the Emohua campus, saying the university was already engaging community leaders and security agencies to address the threats.
Rivers Police spokesperson SP Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the abduction, describing the attackers as cultists.
“The commissioner of police is already on ground with tactical teams to ensure their safe rescue,” she said.
In Imo State, another group of gunmen suspected to be herdsmen hijacked a commercial bus travelling from Owerri to Aba. Witnesses said the attackers emerged from the bush, opened fire and diverted the fully loaded bus into the forest.
The attack triggered panic as motorists abandoned their vehicles and fled in different directions.
READ ALSO: Gunmen Kill Three Immigration Officers, Burn Patrol Vehicle in Kebbi State Attack
The area has witnessed repeated attacks this year, including mass abductions of passengers in May and subsequent incidents that left at least two people dead.
State police spokesperson Henry Okoye said the incident had not yet been formally reported but disclosed that tactical units had been deployed for a fact-finding operation along the Owerri–Aba Expressway.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the armed group that ambushed and killed five police officers last week in Sabon Sara, Bauchi State.
The officers were attacked during a lawful operation, while two others were left injured.
Moving the motion, Mansur Soro, who represents the constituency, said intelligence linking the killings to a group resisting the arrest of a dethroned village head had not been acted upon.
Lawmakers also urged the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the Police Trust Fund and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to provide financial relief, palliatives and educational support to the families of the deceased officers.
The Inspector-General of Police was also directed to fast-track payment of benefits and ensure treatment of the injured officers.
