PORT HARCOURT—A total of 19 individuals, among them five students from Rivers State University, were seized by armed criminals across Rivers and Imo states yesterday.
This mass abduction occurred the same day the House of Representatives directed the federal government to find and prosecute those responsible for the killing of five police officers in Bauchi last week.
Following the resignation of Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru late Monday, President Bola Tinubu yesterday appointed former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, as his nominated successor, concurrently holding a meeting with top security officials concerning the nation’s security challenges.
In the Rivers incident, gangsters believed to be members of a cult group forcibly took at least five students from the Rivers State University (RSU) Emohua Satellite Campus in the early hours of yesterday.
The students were reportedly seized at gunpoint from their off-campus accommodation in Emuoha within Emohua Local Government Area.
Information suggests that students residing outside the campus had protested persistent cult attacks and harassment the previous week, petitioning the RSU administration for relocation to the safer main campus in Port Harcourt.
However, during a pre-convocation press briefing on Monday, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, dismissed the option of closing the Emohua campus or moving the students, stating that the university was handling the security issues through collaboration with local leaders, council authorities, and security agencies.
A student who narrowly escaped the abduction, speaking anonymously, reported that the attackers invaded their residence around 2:00 am, shot and killed the security dog, and then proceeded to capture the victims.
“He was pursuing me and even fired at me, I cannot say how many times. I could not look back as my only goal was to escape.
Then someone else ran after me from the bush. I had to sprint faster to the gate. Some of our fellow students, about four or five, are now missing,’’ the student recounted.
This latest event happened shortly after an alleged robbery attack in Rumuji last week, just hours after the Vice Chancellor’s security reassurances.
The spokesperson for the Rivers State police command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the kidnapping, identifying the culprits as cultists.
“Cultists abducted them. In the early hours of Tuesday (yesterday), a group of five cultists raided an isolated area of Rumuchi/Rumuohia, fired their weapons indiscriminately, and kidnapped five people to an undisclosed location,” she stated.
The police scribe disclosed that a robust search operation was underway for the abductors, saying: “We have initiated measures to ensure their safe release. Currently, the commissioner of police is there with tactical units working to secure their freedom.”
Attempts to obtain comments from state government officials yesterday proved unsuccessful.
Gunmen commandeer vehicle, kidnap 14 passengers in Imo
Regarding the attack in Imo, armed men, suspected to be nomadic herders, reportedly hijacked a bus carrying 14 passengers destined for Aba on Monday evening in the Ngor Okpala area of Imo State.
Eyewitnesses recounted that the attackers emerged from the surrounding bush, opened fire, and took control of the bus traveling from Owerri to Aba, Abia State.
This situation, according to witnesses, caused panic, resulting in other vehicles immediately reversing or stopping abruptly, while passengers scattered to safety.
“They emerged from the bush and started shooting; then they kidnapped passengers from a fully loaded bus. Many passengers fled their vehicles, some ran into the bush, others retreated; the situation was horrifying,” a source stated.
It is relevant to note that suspected herders had similarly kidnapped approximately 18 passengers in the same vicinity in May 2025.
A few weeks after that incident, over 20 more passengers were allegedly kidnapped in the same area, and two people were killed in the assault.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the state, Henry Okoye, indicated that the command had not yet received a report on the incident.
“The Police have not been notified of this incident. Nevertheless, the commissioner of police has deployed tactical teams to begin extensive fact-finding patrols along the Owerri–Aba Express Road. Further details will be shared in due course,” Okoye confirmed.
Reps Call on FG to Arrest Killers of 5 Policemen in Bauchi Community
In a related development, the House of Representatives yesterday called on the federal government to promptly arrest and prosecute the gunmen who ambushed and killed five police officers on Saturday, November 29, 2025, in Sabon Sara, Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State.
The officers, identified as DSP Ahmad Muhammad, ASP Mustapha Muhammad, Inspector Amarhel Yunusa, Inspector Idris Ahmed, and Corporal Isah Muazu, were attacked during a security operation in the region.
Two additional officers, Inspector Isah Musa and Inspector Yusuf Gambo, sustained injuries.
Moving the motion, Mansur Soro, the representative for the constituency, noted that the killings occurred while the officers were performing their official duties.
“The House is concerned that reliable intelligence linking the attack to an armed group resisting the arrest of the deposed village head of Sabon Sara, whose actions pose an ongoing threat to security and community stability, has not been acted upon,” he stated.
Soro commended Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, for his administration’s efforts regarding security, observing “that Bauchi State has been free from banditry and other non-state actors over the last six years and, importantly, for its swift response to the Sabon Sara attack.”
He emphasized that the families of the deceased officers now faced great difficulty, saying “the House is worried that the families of the officers killed and injured are now experiencing severe emotional and economic hardship and require immediate assistance.”
Stressing the necessity of institutional support, Soro stated: “Providing institutional support for officers who are killed or wounded in the line of duty is crucial for maintaining the morale and operational effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force.”
The House adopted the motion through a voice vote, directing the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the Police Trust Fund, and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to provide immediate relief and welfare assistance to the families, including financial aid and educational support for the children of the fallen officers.
Lawmakers also urged the Inspector-General of Police to expedite the payment of all statutory entitlements and insurance benefits, and ensure comprehensive medical care for the injured officers.
Furthermore, the House mandated the Committee on National Security and Police Affairs to collaborate with relevant security agencies to ensure these directives are carried out.
