Rivers University suspends 4 students for brutalising colleague

Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, has suspended four students in connection with the brutalisation of a colleague identified as Victor Tobins.

The institution stated that the four students, who are also Man ‘O’ War officials, had been suspended for one academic session.

Mrs I. B. S. Harry, the university’s acting Registrar, issued a statement on Saturday morning stating that the local security outfit’s actions violated university standards.

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.”

It was previously reported that Man ‘O’ War officials beat Tobins black and blue, injuring his right eye and other portions of his body over an unspecified issue.

The incident provoked a protest the next day (Thursday), when students invaded the outfit’s office on campus and demanded that the school authorities immediately disband them.

The protest escalated, disrupting a meeting of the school administration, the Students Union Government, and the local security force over the latter’s actions.

It needed the intervention of the police from the Okpolu Division in Mile Three, Port Harcourt, and the Vice Chancellor to defuse the situation in which the protesting students were assured that action would be taken within 24 hours.