Rivers State University’s Emohua campus has been thrown into fresh panic after gunmen, suspected to be cultists, attacked an off-campus hostel around 2 a.m. on December 2, 2025. At least five students were abducted, four others are still missing, and the security dog was killed in the raid. The incident has left students terrified and questioning whether school is even safe anymore.
Sadly, this is not the first sign of danger. In August 2025, an RSU student reported being attacked by a man who emerged from a gutter linked to her hostel. In 2024, Ignatius Ajuru University witnessed a violent cult invasion during a clash between rival groups. These recurring attacks show a disturbing pattern of weak security and unchecked cult activity across campuses in Rivers State.
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Student safety should not be a gamble. Universities and security agencies must urgently work together to increase surveillance, secure off-campus hostels, and strengthen patrols. Preventing these attacks is far better than responding after students have already been harmed.
The Vice Chancellor’s pledge to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students is reassuring, but long-term action is needed. Campuses must become safe spaces again not grounds where young people fear for their lives while trying to get an education.
