Suspected members of rival cult groups clashed at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Rumuolumeni, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, sending students scrambling for safety.
The incident occurred on Monday during the ongoing Students’ Union Government Week of the state-owned institution.
The groups involved were identified as the Vikings and Clansmen confraternities, who reportedly engaged in a battle for supremacy.
The immediate cause of the confrontation remained unclear as of Tuesday, although the clash reportedly escalated into an exchange of gunfire.
A viral video of the incident circulating on social media showed students running for safety as gunshots were heard around the campus.
No casualty was reported in the incident.
Following the violence, academic activities were temporarily disrupted as several students reportedly left the campus, while others sought safety in classrooms and hostels.
Commenting on the development, a Port Harcourt-based rights activist, Charles Jaja, expressed concern over the security situation at the university, arguing that the incident raised questions about the institution’s ability to control cult-related violence.
Jaja urged the university management to adopt stronger measures to tackle cultism and improve security on campus.
He said the incident was unacceptable in an institution expected to promote learning, research and character development.
“There must be a deliberate attempt by them (management) to do things differently. And I think that they should under-study what was done at the Rivers State University under the watch of Prof. Barineme Fakae as Vice Chancellor then,” he said.
According to him, the approach adopted at the institution involved strict enforcement of rules, intelligence-driven security operations and swift sanctions against offenders.
Jaja said such measures could help reduce cult-related activities and restore confidence in the university environment.
Another rights activist and National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro, also expressed concern over what he described as repeated cult clashes in and around the university.
Wiro described the latest incident as embarrassing to the institution and the Rivers State Government.
“There have been reported cases of cult clashes in and around the university in the last one year before the latest incident on Monday,” he said.
He warned that repeated incidents could undermine confidence in the university’s security arrangements and discourage parents from enrolling their children in the institution.
Wiro called on the Rivers State Governor, who is the visitor to the university, to engage the institution’s management on measures to strengthen security within and around the campus.
When contacted on Tuesday morning, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, confirmed that the incident involved rival cult groups.
Agabe, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, said police operatives responded promptly to a distress call and moved to the university to restore calm.
She dismissed reports suggesting that the gunshots were fired by police officers, explaining that the operatives only took proactive measures to contain the situation.
“It was a clash between two cult groups. The police responded promptly and arrived at the scene in good time, successfully bringing the situation under control,” she said.
According to her, no lives were lost in the clash, while members of the rival groups fled the scene as police operatives moved in.
She added that investigation had commenced to identify and apprehend those involved in the confrontation.
The police command said it would continue efforts to maintain security around the institution and prevent further violence.
The incident has renewed concerns over cult-related activities in tertiary institutions, with stakeholders calling for stronger intelligence gathering, enforcement of campus rules and improved security measures to protect students and staff.