Politics
Aluu Four In the Eyes Of Rivers Assembly
Death is certainly an inevitable end for all mortals, but no
one is privileged to know when, where and how it will take place. The Holy
Bible condemns killing in whatever form as reflected in Exodus 20:13 “thou
shall not kill”.
The constitution of Nigeria guarantees right to life and
even the golden rule says, “do unto others as you wish them do to you”. The
social and conventional media are being inundated daily of gory incidents of
man’s inhumanity to fellow man and this raises a lot of moral questions on the
people.
It appears that moral values of our society are on serious
decline, otherwise how do we explain the senseless killings perpetrated by the
Boko Haram Islamic Sect in the North.
Just recently, three young men said to be indigenes of Etche
were alleged to have been burnt to death by yet to be identified persons for
reasons that are still sketchy at a border community between Etche and Ikwerre
in Rivers State.
Unconfirmed report says one of the victims was a medical
student undergoing his House manship training.
Unlike the Aluu killing, the offence of this persons cannot
be ascertained and their case was not captured in the social media but their
families are devastated.
On Tuesday precisely October 9, 2012, a middle aged man was
alleged to have taken his own life by jumping down from the top floor of the Federal
Secretariat in Port Harcourt.
The killing of four University of Port Harcourt students by
a mob at Aluu community, which lasted about two hours, has again revealed the
stark reality that Nigerian citizens are not safe in their fatherland.
Infact, it is difficult to fathom the scenario created in
the social media that fellow citizens watched the jungle justice and even
contributed ideas on how best to carry out the extra judicial killing.
Since the inception of the University Port Harcourt, one
cannot remember the killing of four University of Port Harcourt students by a
mob at Aluu community, which lasted for about two hours, has again revealed the
stark reality of the nation’s porous security system.
Infact, it is difficult to fathom the scenario created in
the social media that follow citizens watched the jungle justice and even
contributed ideas on how best to carry out the extra-judicial killing.
Since the establishment of the University of Port Harcourt
in the late 70s, one cannot recall when this kind of barbaric scene occurred in
Aluu Community, even at the worst of provocations by the students, especially
when the institution was notorious for cult activities. During the period,
innocent community members lost their lives.
Then, it was regarded as the price the people had to pay for
hosting such an establishment, so what went wrong? Has the glory of modern
Ikwerre community departed from Aluu? Have the strangers resident in the area
upturned the psyche of the ever peaceful Aluu people for which they were known?
The allegations against the four students range from
stealing, raping to cultism and possession of dangerous weapons as well as
inflicting body harm on residents of the community, leading to the setting up
of a vigilante group which allegedly arrested them at the wee hours of Saturday
morning with stolen mobile phones and laptops. While they were paraded a female
resident was said to have identified one of them as a rapist.
Agreed that the students were guilty of the crime proffered
against them, does that confer on anyone the right to condemn them to death
without trial?
The rule of law stipulates that only a court of competent
jurisdiction can pronounce a suspect guilty of an offence and prescribe
appropriate punishment accordingly.
The lawmaker representing Omuma constituency in the State
Assembly, Hon. Kelechi Nwogu, on Wednesday brought a motion on the floor of the
Assembly condemning the extra judicial killing and carnage in Aluu community in
Ikwerre local government area.
Presenting the motion, Hon Nwogu said “we are all aware of
the killing of four students of the University of Port Harcourt. The incident
has continued to generate condemnation, outcry and even sparked off
demonstration leading to destruction of properties by students of the
institution”.
The lawmaker named the brutally murdered students as Lloyd,
Ugonna, Tekena and Chidiaka. While referring to the video on the internet, he
said the students were stripped naked, laid down helplessly as they were
continually hit with big sticks mostly on the head and later each of them had a
tyre put on his neck.
According to Kelechi, they were initially said to have
stolen laptops and phones and later a new twist emerged that they were cultists
who had gone to attack someone in the community and were apprehended in the
process. It was also alleged that the students had dangerous weapons on them
when they were apprehended.
Having set the stage for debate, other lawmakers took time
to condemn the gruesome murder of the students, not the offence purported to
have been committed.
Hon. Onari Brown, representing Akuku-Toru Constituency I,
blamed the crowd for watching man’s inhuman treatment to another without
calling the attention of security agents or school authority but only found
pleasure in filming the scene to be forwarded to the net.
He blamed the Aluu community for descending so low to engage
in barbaric crime and urged the government to do everything humanly possible to
unravel those behind the dastardly act. “Justice must be done because nobody
has right to take life, no matter the provocation”.
Hon. Brown condemned reprisal attack on the community
because that would not bring back the murdered students, saying that the
students should rather demand justice. He enjoined the security operatives to
bring all those linked with the incident to book.
Hon. Aye Pepple, representing Bonny, took a swoop on the
need to reform the police and other security outfits in the country,
emphasising that what happened in Aluu is a daily occurrence in parts of
Nigeria, leading citizens providing security for themselves in a nation where
survival of the fittest is in vogue.
Hon. Ikuniyi Ibani (Andoni) said he was personally
traumatised by the incident and wondered how this kind of heinous crime could
be committed in this modern world. He blamed the police at Aluu for not
intervening in the matter even when contact was said to have been established.
For Hon. Ibelema Okpokiri, representing Okrika: thes
incident was unfortunate, and regrettable, that a modern community like Aluu,
hosting a university should perpetrate such act in such magnitude.
He called for justice as the only way the soul of the
victims would rest in peace, arguing that reprisal attack was not an option and
blamed the students for the destructions that followed the attack.
Other speakers like Hon. Martin Amaewhule, Victor Amadi, Dr.
Innocent Barikor and Golden Chioma, described the murder of the 4 Uniport
students as barbaric, cannibalistic, dastardly and wicked, adding that the mob
threw away their sense of reasoning , for the sanity of human life to the wind.
Announcing the resolution of the House, the speaker, Rt.
Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, said the Assembly condemns the ignominious dastardly
act perpetrated by some members of the Aluu community, stating that no matter
the circumstances the people do not have the right to take the life of others.
The House also lauded the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike
Rotimi Amaechi for his timely directive to the law enforcement agencies to
arrest the perpetrators of the heinous crime and also urged the government to
direct the security agents to be on guard to protect lives and properties in
Aluu community.
The Assembly called on the Police Commissioner to
investigate the role of the Aluu Police Station for the alleged refusal to
respond to distress call and to prevent further reprisal attack.
The Assembly also expressed satisfaction with the decision
of the university authority to declare a 7-day mourning period for the late
students, acknowledging that flying their flag at half mast shows a mark of
honour for the departed souls.
This event undoubtedly has thrown a challenge on the
leadership capacities of various communities in Rivers State to entrust only
persons with save mind to superintend over their affairs.
It also challenged the police to justify the job for which
they are paid; to detect and prevent crime, because the commotion from the
apprehension torture and killing of the students was enough to attract the
attention of law enforcement agents and probably, may have sved these four
lives.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh, the party said it had taken note of Mr Obi’s defection alongside some of his supporters, as well as what it called a “lacklustre speech” delivered by the former Anambra State governor at the defection event.
“We wondered what new he intends to sell to Nigerians,” the party said, adding that it was not surprised by the move, having “since September 2024, parted ways with Peter Obi and some of his blind supporters in the National Assembly.”
According to the statement, the faction said it had patiently awaited Mr Obi’s exit, describing it as a blessing.
“The party is finally liberated by this defection and as party leaders, we count it as a blessing,” the party said.
The faction further disclosed that it had previously urged Mr Obi and his supporters to leave if they were unable to work with the party leadership.
It claimed that several lawmakers had been suspended for anti-party activities and that similar action would have been taken against Mr Obi but for the intervention of “some well-meaning Nigerians.”
It also blamed its internal crisis on Mr Obi and Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, accusing them of sponsoring what it described as an insurrection against the Julius Abure-led leadership.
“The crisis we had in the Labour Party was caused by Peter Obi and the Abia State governor, Alex Otti,” the statement alleged, adding that it was surprising Dr Otti had not followed Mr Obi out of the party despite his suspension.
Reacting to Mr Obi’s defection event in Enugu, the faction claimed the gathering was largely boycotted by prominent political and traditional institutions in the South East, insisting that those present were “political spent forces who cannot win in their wards should there be an election today.”
It warned that this development signalled the failure of any future Mr Obi presidential or vice-presidential ambition, claiming he had “clearly lost the charm that had endeared him to the people prior to 2023.”
The faction also accused Mr Obi of misleading the South East during the 2023 elections, alleging that the region suffers political marginalisation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a result.
“He must be told that the South East lost out completely in President Ahmed Tinubu’s government because they trusted and believed in him in 2023,” the statement said, alleging disparities in ministerial appointments and infrastructure allocation to the zone.
The Abure-Led LP apologised to Nigerians for its decision in the last election.
“We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake. We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians,” the party said.
It urged Nigerians to watch out for a rebranded Labour Party, promising to present “the best prospect” capable of returning Nigeria to what it described as its “glorious days.”
steadily toward unity, justice, and shared prosperity”, he said.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at his country home in Ikere-Ekiti, Dr Oluyede said the development came as a shock, stressing that INEC supervised and monitored the PDP governorship primary that produced him as the party’s candidate.
According to him, INEC officials documented the process, completed all required forms, and even affirmed his candidacy in court through sworn affidavits arising from cases linked to the primary election.
He maintained that no court order or injunction currently restrains INEC from listing his name as the PDP candidate, arguing that the electoral body lacks the constitutional power to determine who emerges as a party’s nominee.
Dr Oluyede described such decisions as the exclusive responsibility of political parties, not the electoral umpire.
While playing down panic over the released list, Dr Oluyede noted that electoral processes often involve reviews and corrections.
He disclosed that he had commenced wide consultations, including engagements with PDP leadership and formal correspondence with INEC, to seek clarification on the omission and determine the next line of action.
The PDP candidate assured his supporters across Ekiti State that he would appear on the ballot, expressing confidence that the situation would be resolved in his favour.
He described attempts to exclude candidates from elections as dangerous and undemocratic, warning that such tactics undermine the people’s right to freely choose their leaders.
Dr Oluyede called on the people of Ekiti to reject any form of disenfranchisement, insisting that elections should be contests of ideas, records, and acceptance by the electorate rather than exclusionary maneuvers.
He also declared that the PDP in Ekiti had resolved its past internal crises and was now united, focused, and ready to win the forthcoming governorship election.
He urged party members and supporters to remain calm and focused, expressing optimism that, with divine grace and the will of the people, the PDP would emerge victorious at the polls.
Mr Obi spoke while formally declaring for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at a well-attended event in Enugu on Wednesday, where he outlined what he described as a fresh roadmap for rescuing the country from its socio-economic challenges.
Addressing party members, supporters and other stakeholders, the former governor stressed that leadership must be driven by integrity and accountability, warning against the culture of double standards in public office.
“We cannot continue to deceive our people. Leadership is about telling the truth and leading by example. You cannot promise one thing in public and do another in private. That is not leadership, and that is not the change Nigeria needs”, Mr Obi said.
He maintained that genuine national rebirth would only be possible if entrenched wrongs were corrected, adding that governance must be guided by competence, discipline and a clear sense of purpose.
Mr Obi also underscored the need for fresh thinking in the nation’s political space, urging political actors to move away from recycled ideas that have failed to deliver sustainable development.
“We must come with new ideas,” he said, adding that “Nigeria’s problems are not mysterious; what has been lacking is the courage and competence to address them differently. We need a new approach that puts people first and focuses on production, not consumption.”
Calling for a broad based political collaboration, Mr Obi appealed to parties and stakeholders across ideological divides to work together in the national interest.
“This country is bigger than any party or individual. All parties must come together to change the present trend. What matters is not the platform, but the future of Nigeria and the wellbeing of its citizens”, he declared.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Mr Obi challenged aspirants seeking elective offices to ensure transparency in their credentials, warning that the era of falsified certificates was drawing to a close.
“Anyone contesting for any position in 2027 must come with genuine certificates. All the machinery is now in place to verify what is genuine and what is not. Integrity must start from the very foundation of leadership”, he stated.
Drawing lessons from international development models, Mr Obi cited Rwanda and Indonesia as examples of countries that rose from difficult beginnings to become thriving economies through disciplined leadership and sound policies.
“These countries were once behind us,” he noted, adding that “Today, they are moving ahead because they chose competent leadership, clear vision and policies that support local production and human capital development.”
He also criticised the economic policies of the present administration, particularly the continued importation of food items that can be produced locally, describing such practices as inimical to national development.
“You cannot grow an economy by killing local production. Importing food that we can produce in Nigeria destroys jobs, weakens our farmers and drains our foreign exchange. A serious country must produce what it consumes”, he argued.
The event featured renewed calls from ADC supporters for sustained engagement and mobilisation, as Mr Obi reiterated his belief that Nigeria remains redeemable if led with honesty, competence and a commitment to shared national progress.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, expressed confidence in the emerging coalition, assuring Nigerians that the party would deliver good governance at all levels of administration if entrusted with power.
The gathering also witnessed the defection of several prominent politicians from different political parties across the South-East and beyond.
The motion endorsing the defection was moved by a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, and seconded by former economic adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Osita Ogbu.
Goodwill messages from notable political figures, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Mrs. Aisha Yesufu, Chief Sam Egwu, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Achike Udenwa, Mr Onyema Ugochukwu and Senator Gilbert Nnaji among others, further underscored the growing momentum within the ADC.
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