By Naija247news Desk | Port Harcourt
Panic erupted among students of Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwu, Port Harcourt, after armed gunmen reportedly stormed an off-campus hostel and abducted five students in the early hours of Tuesday, November 26, 2025. Authorities have described the incident as a suspected cultist attack.
The assailants, believed to be members of a cult group, reportedly invaded a private lodge in Emuoha Local Government Area around 2 a.m., firing shots into the air before seizing their victims. Residents and students were thrown into chaos as gunfire echoed through the area. One student narrowly escaped, describing the attack as terrifying. She recounted that she initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks before realising the hostel was under siege. In her frantic bid to flee, she was pursued by the gunmen and narrowly escaped unharmed.
Police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, confirmed the attack to The PUNCH, noting that the incident bore all the hallmarks of a cultist operation. She stated that the armed gang struck suddenly, whisking away the students to an unknown location. “They were abducted by cultists. In the early hours of Tuesday, a group of cultists stormed an isolated area of Rumuchi/Rumuohia, shot and abducted five persons to an unknown destination,” she said.
Iringe-Koko added that tactical police teams, led by the state Commissioner of Police, have been deployed to track the kidnappers and secure the safe release of the students. Investigations are ongoing, and security operatives are combing the area in search of the missing students.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of off-campus hostels in Port Harcourt and underscores the growing threat of cult-related violence targeting students in Rivers State. Authorities have urged residents and students to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to security agencies immediately.
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Reporting by Naija247news in Lagos, Nigeria.
