Police Headquarters
Ernest Chinwo
Authorities of the University of Port Harcourt said they have established the identities of three out of the four people killed last Friday at Omuokiri village, Aluu as students of the institution.
The university has also declared seven days of mourning for the students who were killed by a mob in the community, about three kilometres from the institution and where many off-campus students stay.
Addressing journalists Monday on the incident, The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Joseph Ajienka, condemned the killings, stating that nobody has the right to engage in extra-judicial killing.
“In as much as we condemn all forms of criminality, the authorities of the University of Port Harcourt wish to state in unequivocal terms that nobody has the right to engage in extra-judicial killing or resort to self-help, no matter the level of provocation,” he said.
Ajienka listed the names of victims as Biringa, Chiadika Lordson (Year two, Theatre Arts), Ugonna, Kelechi Obuzor (Year Two, Geology) and Mike, Lloyd Toku (Year Two, Civil Engineering).
He said the fourth victim, Tekena Erikena, was “yet to be formally identified as a student of the University of Port Harcourt”.
He disclosed that also in honour of the murdered students, the university authorities, in consultation with the Students Union Government (SUG), had also suspended the Students Union Week indefinitely.
His words: “The University is in a mourning mood in honour of the murdered students. Also, the ongoing 2012 Students Union Week which was scheduled to have commenced this morning (yesterday) has been put off indefinitely. Flags are already being flown at half mast as a mark of honour to the deceased students of the university.”
He said the authorities of the institution were working with the security agencies in their investigations to unravel the circumstances that led to the killing of the four men.
He however noted that the incident happened at Omuokiri village in Aluu, about three kilometres from the institution and said there was no way the university could be held responsible for the security of the students outside the campus.
He thanked the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, for his timely intervention that prevented the issue from escalating.
Ajienka also thanked the students for their maturity and understanding over the issue, and said adequate security measures had been put in place to ensure that normal academic activities continued in the university.,,,