- A serious rift has ensued between the police command in Edo and the authority of the Ambrose Alli University, (AAU) Ekpoma
- This followed after the state commissioner of police, Johnson Kokumo, linked the murder of five persons in an uproar to a rivalry between two opposing cults in the institution
- Professor Ignatius Onimawo, the vice chancellor of the university, in his reaction said that Kokumo's position is incautious and reckless
The authority of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo, is upset over certain controversial remarks made by the state police command following the murder of five persons within the institution's community.
Earlier, three students of the university and two others were shot dead by some gunmen at a local bar located around Judges’ Quarters in the Esan west local government area of the state, Punch reports.
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It all started on Tuesday, September 18, when a fight allegedly ensued between two persons over an undisclosed issued. One of them, who had claimed that his shirt was torn during the fracas, left the scene in fury but returned shortly with a group of armed men who opened fire on the supposed opponent, killing five persons.
Among the victims of the shootout were a final-year medical student of the school, Chinedum Anakor; a final-year student of English, Oba James; a postgraduate student and son of a former council chairman, Oselumense Abulu; a serving corps member, Ugwi Martha; and one Jerry Omobude.
The development led to mayhem as other fun-seekers and customers took to their heels for safety, while the bar was abruptly shut.
Johnson Kokumo, the state commissioner of police, described the incident as a clash between rival cult groups.
Kokumo said: “Ambrose Alli University, I must admit, is a den of cultists. The killing was as a result of a fight between rival cult groups. We are determined to get to the heart of the matter and check the rising wave of cultism at the school and other tertiary institutions in the state. We cannot tolerate the situation.”
However, the commissioner's remarks triggered heated reactions from the management and staff of the university, who described them as false and unfounded.
Professor Ignatius Onimawo, the vice chancellor of the university, was shocked that the police linked the attack to the institution.
Onimawo stated: “That (CP’s remark) is an unguarded statement. What facts does he have on ground? For a very long time now, there have been no known cult activities in AAU. So, how did it become a den of cultists? Two people had a quarrel in town and, in the process, one of them shot some people in town, in a restaurant and during a party. How does that make it (university) a den of cultists?
“Does that make sense? If an incident happened in Benin and a student was shot, would you say that the University of Benin is a den of cultists? The incident (killings) happened very far away from the campus and while it was happening, we had an international conference taking place in AAU. We never had any issue with anybody.”
The vice-chancellor said that although the university was moved by the death of it’s students, describing the institution as breeding ground for cultism was unacceptable. He also challenged the police commissioner to present his facts.
Onimawo said: “We regret that two of our students were involved in the deaths but that is not to say that somebody of the CP’s status would just make a sweeping statement. It is very unfortunate that he could talk like that.
“But we, as a university, will respond appropriately. If there is insecurity in town, that is the job of the police, not the job of a vice-chancellor. I am not happy with that kind of statement from the CP of Edo State, who was supposed to do his investigation before coming to make that kind of statement. We will respond.”
Moreover, the AAU chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said the police commissioner erred as his comment not only lacked fairness, but it also exposed the alleged failure of the security agency to carry out its responsibility of providing adequate security in the area.
Monday Igbafen, the Chairman of the chapter, stated: “This is still the unguarded statement some of us talk about. It is unguarded because we expect that if he (CP) knew that this place (AAU) is a den of cultists, what have they (police) been able to do? Do they want to wait until they kill all of us here? Theirs is to sit down in Benin and say it (AAU) is a den of cultists.”
“We do not think that is a fair statement to come from somebody who is occupying an office in one of the security agencies in this country. Nobody is saying there are no cultists but he should go an weight the description, ‘den of cultists,’ very well.
“He (CP) has been commissioner of police in so many places. Is he saying that there are no cultists in other universities? But if he knew that there were cultists here, what has he done since he came. We do not think that his statement is fair to the university.”
In response, Kokumo accused Onimawo of being economical with the truth, adding that there were statistics to prove the position of the police on the prevalence of cultism in the university.
The commissioner said: “If he is sure of what he has said, he should write a letter to the security agencies, particularly the police, requesting that we should withdraw all anti-cultism security measures we have put in place. If he is sure that Ambrose Alli University is cultism-free and cultism has not eaten deep into the fabrics of the entire university community, let him write a formal letter to the police.
“I can produce the statistics of cultists arrested from his end, who were processed through the courts. We have the records. I hereby challenge him to an open debate. I will come up with the statistics of cultists and cultism in the university.”
However, civil society groups in the state called on the Edo state government to take urgent measures to prevent a re-occurrence of the killings.
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A coalition of civil society organisations, known as the Edo State Civil Society Organisations, explained that security agencies must live up to their responsibility of securing lives and property.
Osazee Edigin, the public relations officer of the coalition, said: “The security agencies saddled with the responsibility of securing lives and property, which also involves the ability to detect crime, should step up their operations in ensuring that the perpetrators are made to face the wrath of the law. Government at all levels should see the protection of citizens’ lives and property as a major component of the social contract entered with the people.
“The police should work more on intelligence reports in fishing out the perpetrators of the killings before they strike. If this is done, it will stop future occurrence and there will no longer be ground for it to fester.”
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com reported that two undergraduate students of University of Calabar (UNICAL) were killed during a clash among cultists in the school.
The management of the University of Calabar on Monday, March 19, confirmed that two students of the institution were killed by gunmen in a suspected renewed wave of cult clashes on the campus.
The management, however, said that security operatives had been deployed around the institution to forestall further attacks.
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Source: Naija.ng
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