Suspected rival cultists went on rampage at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Rumuolumeni, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, exchanging gunfire on Monday.
It was gathered that the clash was between two rival cult groups identified as Vikings and Clansmen confraternities in a battle for supremacy.
While the immediate cause of the clash could not be ascertained, it was gathered that the violence between the rival groups erupted during the ongoing Students’ Union Government Week of the university.
No casualty was recorded but a viral video of the incident making rounds on social media showed students scampering for safety as gunshots rented the air.
Academic activities were suspended thereafter and most students left campus or stayed in classrooms and hostels to avoid being hit by stray bullets.
A Port Harcourt-based rights activist, Charles Jaja, who commented on the incident, said the clash showed that the management of the institution had lost control of the campus of the state-owned institution.
Jaja, who said such development was unacceptable, especially in a university, called on the university authorities to brace up to the challenge of rampaging cultists in the school.
“The gunshot yesterday at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education is a sad reminder of what a university ought not to be and I think the school management has lost control of its campus,” he said.
“There must be a conscious effort on their (management’s) part to do things differently. And I think they should understudy what was done at the Rivers State University (sister institution) under the watch of Prof. Barineme Fakae as Vise Chancellor then.
His model was simple. All that was needed to push cultism to the barest minimum was just enforcement of rules and intelligence driven security and swift sanctions and that gave birth to the peace on the campus.
“This is what I am advocating because 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 not okay.”
Also speaking to our correspondent on Tuesday morning, another rights activist and National Coordinator, Center for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro, expressed concern over repeated cult clashes in the school.
The latest clash, Wiro said, was an embarrassment to the institution and the state government.
There have been some incidents of cult clashes reported in and around the university in the last one year before the latest incident on Monday.
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“Such repeated incidents suggest that the security arrangements in the institution may not be adequate. It will also erode confidence of parents on the security architecture of the University and many parents may not wish their children to be admitted in the University.
“I use this medium to call on the Rivers State Governor who is the visitor to the institution to invite the leadership of the University with a view to discussing ways of enhancing security in and out of the institution,” he said.
Spokesman for the state police vommand, Blessing Agabe, told Tuesday morning that it was a clash between rival gangs in the campus.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Agabe dismissed claims that the gunshots heard during the clash were not fired by operatives, insisting that men of the command promptly responded to a distress call and arrived at the scene, restoring calm.
“It was a fight between two cult groups,” she said. Police responded quickly and arrived on the scene in good time and managed to bring the situation under control, saying investigation is ongoing.
“Police did not fire any shots, as the officers only took necessary proactive steps to contain and arrest the situation. No one was killed. “But members of the groups fled the scene, and investigation is underway to identify and arrest those involved.”