Uniport killings in Nigeria
This is what ThisDay newspaper is reporting.
We’ve gathered that among those arrested was the traditional ruler of Omuokiri village of Aluu, Alhaji Hassan Welewa.
The arrests came just as the Rivers State Government and other stakeholders have expressed outrage over the mindless killing. The four male undergraduate students were killed last Friday by a mob in a community adjoining the university for alleged armed robbery.
Another version had it that the students were cult members who had gone on a failed ‘hit.’
The incident attracted wild outrage given how the students were crudely debased, beaten, and eventually hacked to death by the villagers, many of whom gleefully posted the video clips of the beating and killing on the internet. Watching it on the social media, enraged many.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Ben Ugwuegbulam, did not take his calls or respond to text messages to confirm the arrest.
However, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, while speaking on a radio programme monitored in Port Harcourt yesterday, confirmed the arrest of the traditional ruler and others suspected to be involved in the murder.
She said the state Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, found the incident unacceptable and reprehensible. She said the government was alarmed at the gruesome killings and had ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident.
“This crime will not go unpunished,” she said, adding that the traditional ruler and other suspects had been arrested by the police for interrogation.
Listeners who phoned in during the radio programme widely condemned the incident, saying it was absurd that people would stand by and watch while four persons were being killed, only to post the video online.
The spokesman of the university, Mr. Williams Wodi, however said the institution was yet to confirm if the people killed were actually students of the university. Wodi said in a text message, “Right now, I am not in a position to confirm to you that the alleged victims are bona fide students of UNIPORT as is being widely speculated.
“The alleged incident took place at Aluu village about two kilometres outside our main campus. We do not have responsibility for security in Aluu communities, which are beyond our jurisdiction.
“The relevant security outfits are working with our security department to establish the true identities of the victims and what actually transpired on the day of the incident.
However, THISDAY gathered that students of the university who were to march on Aluu community Sunday were prevailed upon to allow the security agencies carry out their duties.
The immediate past President of the Student Union Government (SUG) of the university, Mr. Rhino Owhorkire, told THISDAY that students had already gathered but they had to cancel the protest for fear that it could be hijacked by hoodlums to cause more problems.
He said they were certain that the victims were students of the university as some of their course mates had identified them.
He dismissed claims in some quarters that the victims were robbers. “We do not believe they were robbers. If actually they were robbers, what and where are the items they stole, and who had come up to state that the victims stole from them?” he queried.
Owhorkire, who is also a native of Aluu, said: “We totally condemn the act by this Aluu community. It is a shame that we can kill ourselves in such a brutal manner.”
He, however, said students of the institution were satisfied with the response of the Rivers State Government, which had ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident.
He said the students were aware of the mass arrest of people, including the traditional ruler of the village, adding that some students were among those arrested as they also lived in the community.
A former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, also expressed outrage over the killing of the UNIPORT students as well as the killing of about 46 students from three tertiary institutions in Mubi, Adamawa State last Tuesday.
She said the Federal Government must prove it is in charge of the Nigerian situation by ensuring that it brings to justice the murderers of the students.
Anything short of this, she added, would make impunity the norm in the country and precipitate Nigeria’s descent into anarchy.
Ezekwesili, who spoke over the weekend in Abuja in a reaction to the killing of the students, said the Ministry of Justice and the police must pursue these cases to a logical conclusion as soon as possible.
“We have to watch it. A lot of countries that have had genocidal experience started like this. We have too many problems to descend into a state of anarchy again. How can we all sit and watch impunity becomes the order of the day? The government has to re-establish itself. The killing of these innocent students must not go off the news” she said.
She wondered what had happened to the society that human lives have no value again and people have no qualms killing others.
“When people know that the rule of law is predictable, they do not behave recklessly as we are seeing now. But when you have a society and people believe the consequences are profitable, it suggests a breakdown of the rule of law.
“Is this not the same country where it is emotionally difficult when you see a corpse on the street? The killings were barbaric, mere savagery and very devastating. Some people are acting or behaving as if there are no people in charge of the government. Something is fundamentally wrong with our society. To see the dastardly mob killing of four misguided youths who stole sank my optimism. No! Even in death, these four must get justice. My voice shall be heard on this. What have we become?
“We used to be better than this. What has psychologically traumatised our people? There is a fundamental problem; there is a breakdown in something that is proudly Nigeria. I cannot believe that our society has gotten to this level. We are broken, we need to be mended and nobody will mend it other than ourselves.
Uniport killings in Nigeria
Uniport killings in Nigeria
Uniport killings in Nigeria
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Shocking
Very shocking…those people dat kill the student should be brought to book
ah, y shud they jux start killing dem jux like dat, taking laws into their hands jux like dat.oh i feel so sorry for all dis….
it rilly shocking jux as u we guys v said oooooo…hmmmmmmmmmmm
God have mercy on us all
devil incarnate in human fresh
Very shocking…wickedness is over taking Nigeria little by little, God have mercy.
amen oooo, dis is pure wickedness n nothin more
wonders is one word also for all dis as a sub topic cos it doesn't end
hhm faith u can say that again
Pls what is there offences.
my sister just read d above story n see how wicked people could be
Yeah i read it now!its such a sad and painful death though,God help us and our judgement.
NIGERIA HAVE LONG WAY TO GO….BECAUSE OF PHONE AND LATOP ….GOD HAVE MERCY……
ah, what is dis…..oh no….dis is jux too.
why all dis, i jux can't still figure out what is happenin cos dis scene luks outrageous
wonders dat neva end
cant hold my tears
very Shocking
so shocking my sister
Aluu community don enter world map wit their evil display n dey wil pay 4 it in many yrs 2 come, even their gurls n ladies wil struggle 2 get married wit outsiders as far their village name rings evil evil evil wickedness wickedness murders murders.
not a small thing my brother
so sad
so sad
so sad
This is shocking
too bad n so sadden
They shouldn't have take law in to their hands
God this is to bad
Police should make use of the pictures posted on the net to track down those devils that killed the four men . Again the hopeless Community should wait for a more deadly revenge from friends of those men that they killed . A day will come when men shall come into the village and kill people any how,blood for blood !
Aluu village will never know peace. Uniport stand up. If Uniport does not retaliate, the punishment will get to them. Burn down Aluu!!!
oh my God, what is really going on in this country? plsssssss this is too much. how heartless could people be.
God come and take over this mata and let the killers of this innocent souls be brought to book sooner than expected
I cants hold back my tears, God pls help us.
my mind keeps telling me this guys are innocent poor student that a group of people are trying to get ride of just to cover up their own crime or something
Same with me. Can't hold my tears, this is so painful
Jesus Christ. I still can't get the picture out of my head
Terrible.
Hej!!!!!!!!!!
Painful
Kill human being like dogs. Young men that would have made impact in their society.
If u watch d video, u think abt it all day n nite.
I'm ashame of that country…………
stop saying rubbish your ashamed of ur fatherland
My 6ta u dey Ashame…. Me i dey Afraid of naija.Dis is barbaric & cruel act, , they should have taken them to the police station and not this jungle justice. Boko Haram in different Form
MY dear i tell u, they scared me too.. dis one na Boko Haram part 2 .
this one is worst than Boko Haram
there is something we have to get clear about that incident , it is not about the community or the heartless killers , it is about how this case will be treated by the govt of that state and the S.U.G of Uniport.
So sad painful death,I weep for them*crying*
same here
you mean that there was no police staion around there or police number to call?our gov hv to do more to protect us from dis brutal killing, justice must take place,nd god will not forgive those killers
D law shud hold d community,n d traditional rulers responsible,n mak sure dey briNg dem 2 bOok.
yes i agree with u
Its sad my pple. No mata wot dos guys hv done, no one has any ryt to kill his felo human. Let’s jst pray to God for d salvation of 9ja our belovd.
evil beyond compare.
This is pure evil, for that guy to rise a big wood like that to kill a human being like him without self pity and people around him are watching without saying something…so this people value their properties than life itself…. What a disgraceful and shameful act….. God judge them for the sins against the soul of this young age sons of yours, their life was taken away from at a young age…….ties dropping !!!!
total wickedness
May d souls of dis people never rest may it detroy d lives of everyone involve in dis killing may God the God of justice visit their homes and use dem as examples to all. May they knw no peace,sleeplessness sorrow and tears will b their portion and if our government do not do anything about dis same will visit their homes Amen
Can u see d man wit d stick and d one placing ones head to b burnt ah my lord and my God
Ii am still very speehless, I watched the video with shock and tears filled eyes humans are indeed wicked, I listenedd to the V.C of the university of Port-Harcourt talking on radio this morning, that the university has a cordial relationship with the communities around, in my own view I think that isn't true because if uniport enjoyed a cordial relationship with ALUU those boys wouldn't have been killed…….they would either hand the boys to the school authority or the Police….we indeed live in the last days.
This is not a suggestion but a definite fact, people should be prayerful, our country Nigeria is gradually running out of patience those of you who take laws into ur hands, mind u even though u later find Christ and turn a new leaf u will still face the music.
U LIVE BY SWORD U DIE BY SWORD.
THE KILLERS OF THIS FUTURE PROMISING YOUNG MEN SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE QUICKLY..
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
inhumane!! am perplexed by d action of d youth of aluu buh one fin ah knw 4 sure is dat they will neva go unpunish………
This is terrible my heart bleeds
On my on the should kill those allu people the should revenge back, ahhh they are so wicked, even if those guys are arm robbers those they deserve killing, they should kill them back oooo.
Am dumb founded,my heart is broken ,may there souls rest in perfect peace.Amen
dis is barbaric
the ruler of dat evil community shp. be killing
for he is evil himself
some of them r going 2 church asking God 4 children, some r asking 4 wife, some r asking husband, I'm praying those involved ave sleepless nights nd troubled day because the actions taken here is 10much very sad
where are the goods they took, I'm not saying wht they did was right but God knows even them tht killed these boy there hand r far frm clean.
It is babaric, uncivilized culture, illicit conduct and highly organized crime by Aluu Community. More action capable of re-orientating that community is necessary cuz we are in a civilized world.
It is babaric, uncivilized culture, illicit conduct and highly organized crime by Aluu Community. More action capable of re-orientating that community is necessary cuz we are in a civilized world.
Oh my God! What a wicked world.
Too bad Aluu community.