by Nurat Uthman
The Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt has suspended four of its students linked to the brutalisation of their colleague identified as Victor Tobins.
The institution said the four students who are also officials of the Man ‘O’ War stand suspended for one academic session.
A statement issued by the university’s acting Registrar, Mrs I. B. S. Harry, on Saturday morning, said the action of the local security outfit contravenes the regulations of the university.
The statement reads, “This is to notify parents and the general public that the Management of the Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, at its meeting held on Friday 14th June 2024, approved the suspension of the following students:
“Monsi Baridukaka Nwaaelibabari, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Victor Chibuike Daniel, Department of Animal Science, Ezems Ikechukwu Goodluck, Department of Electrical Engineering and Wilson Jacob Ree-Ugani, Department of Marine Engineering.
“The students who are members of the Man O’ War were suspended by the Management of the University, for assaulting and inflicting physical injury on Victor Tobin, a 300-level student of the Department of Sociology, on 12th June 2024 at Hostel F in the University Campus.
“Management saw the actions of the four students as contrary to the regulations of the University, and as such, approved their suspension for one academic session.”
The management urged students to live in peace with one another.
The statement said, “The Management enjoined the student population to continue to live in peace and harmony and comply scrupulously with all the rules and regulations of the University.”
The Man ‘O’ War officials had beaten Tobins black and blue on June 12 (Wednesday), inflicting injuries on his right eye and other parts of his body over a yet-to-be-ascertained issue. The action further sparked a protest the following day (Thursday) as the students stormed the office of the outfit on the campus and called on the school authority to immediately disband them from campus.
The protest assumed a fever pitch, disrupting a meeting of the school management, the Students Union Government and the local security outfit over the action of the latter.
It took the intervention of the police from the Okpolu Division in Mile Three, Port Harcourt and the Vice Chancellor to quell the situation where the protesting students were assured that action would be taken within 24 hours.
