TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
The Management of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has announced the suspension of three male students, who gang-raped one of their female colleagues in the hostel.
They students were: Nnamdi Destiny UE/2018/Pol.Sc. /B.Sc/0062 – Pol. Sc., Ovunwo J. Henry, 100-Level Sociology Department and Samuel Valentine UE/2017/Pol.Sc /B. Ed 4/0259, 300-level.
Daily Sun gathered that the victim (name withheld), was 100-Level student. She was allegedly raped by the three students in Hostel C in the campus.
Vice Chancellor of the state-owned university, Professor Ozo-Ndemele Mercuri, who confirmed the rape case in a statement, said efforts were on to arrest the third suspect (student).
It was learnt that two of the suspects have been arrested and handed over to the police, while the third has run away from school. But, the school authority said efforts have been intensified to apprehend the fleeing suspect.
Further information from the institution said the matter has also been referred to the Students Disciplinary Committee to decide the students’ fate in the school.
Also, the room, where the crime was committed has been sealed off and all occupants driven out of the hostel.
Mercuri said: “We have arrested two of the suspects and handed them over to police. We are still searching for the third. Meanwhile, the real occupants of the room have been sent out of the hostel”.
It was learnt that the Registrar of the University, Mrs. Hope Kue-Ikoro, has been directed to issue a memo banning inter-sex visits at any time of the day.
The institution said any student found guilty of visiting the opposite sex in the hostel, no matter the time of the day, puts himself or herself and the occupants of such a room at “high risk”.
Meanwhile, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a Superintendent of Police (SP), has since confirmed the incident.
Omoni said the case of rape was reported at the Rumuolumeni Divisional Police by the 21-year-old victim, that she was lured by one of the suspect on the pretence to assist her charge her phone.
He confirmed the arrest of two of the suspects, adding that the State Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Mukan, has ordered that the case should be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).
The PPRO said the command would interface with the school authority to ensure that such incident does not occur again.