Produce Students Killers: UNIPORT SUG Issues Two Wks Ultimatum …Senate, Okrika Chiefs Condemn Killings

Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi (right) presenting a souvenir to the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Downstream Sector, Hon. Dakuku Peterside when members of the committee paid a courtesy visit to the governor at Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday.

The Student Union Government (SUG) of the University of Port
Harcourt has issued a two week ultimatum to the Aluu community in Ikwere Local
Government Area of Rivers State to provide to the security agencies, the
killers of the four students of the school to avert any unpleasant
consequences.

The SUG President, Maxwell Soye Nyamabo gave the warning
yesterday during a peaceful demonstration at Aluu over the gruesome murder of
the four students of the university at Umuokiri, Aluu last Friday.

The Tide gathered that the action was part of resolution
reached in the meeting held yesterday by the Students Union to draw the
attention of elders and leaders of Aluu community, especially Umuokiri village
where the incident took place on the need to produce and handover to the
security agencies, the killers of the four students.

The Tide also gathered that the peaceful protest which
started at about 9.am yesterdays paralysed both velucular and business activities
in the area.

Efforts to speak with the leaders of the community proved
abortive as most of the indigenes have fled for fear of being attacked by the
students.

However, the university still observed the two weeks free
lecture period earlier scheduled to enable the university community mourn the
slain students just as the Student Union Government has suspended the student
week billed to  have commenced last
Monday.

At a press briefing to the Vice Chancellor of the University
of Port Harcourt, Prof Joseph A. Ajienka said the institution will maintain the
free lecture days to enable the school observe a one-week mourning period
declared by the senate of the university on Monday.

It would be recalled that the authorities of the university
of Port Harcourt had declared a seven-day mourning in honour of the four
murdered students by an angry mob last Friday.

The school authorities also put off indefinitely, the
ongoing 2012 student Union Week, which commenced Monday to allow the students
observed a seven day mourning period for the slain students.

Ajienka confirmed that three out of the four student
murdered were students of the University while one is yet to be identified.

He identified the three as Biringa Chiadikobi Lordson, a
200-level, Theatre Arts student with Matric No U2010/1805036, Ugonna Kelechi
Obuzor, 200-level Geology student with matric No U2010/3010094 and Mike Lloyd
Toku also a 200-level Civil Engineering student with Matric No U2010/3010094,
while the fourth person, known as Tekena Erikena was yet  to be identified as a student of the school.

He debunked insinuations that the students were armed
robbers who were in the habit of terrorising the area saying that the law does
not give any body power outside security agencies to kill anybody without
police investigation and court conviction.

Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday in Abuja condemned the
killing of three students of University of Port Harcourt and their friend,
namely Biringa Chiadikobi  Lordson,
Ugonna Obuzor, Lloyd Mike Toku, Tekena Erikena, all below the age of 22 years.

The Senate called on the security agencies to fish out the
perpetrators and bring them to book.

The Senate made the call following the debate of a motion
sponsored by Sen. Ayogu Eze (PDP-Enugu) and 90 other senators.

Eze had in his lead debate noted the dehumanising manner in
which the four youths were stripped naked, marched like common criminals and
battered to death.

The lawmaker described as flimsy, the allegation of theft of
laptops and blackberry phones levelled against them, which was yet to be
ascertained.

Eze said it was a thing of worry that this was coming on the
heels of another systematic murder of more than 40 persons, majority of them
students in another institution of higher learning.

He also expressed concern over what he described as the cold
attitude of leaders of Aluu community, who first gave approval for the extra
judicial killing.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu in his contribution
said that one of the deceased was well know to him, adding that the allegation
of stealing of laptops levelled against him was immaterial.

Sen. Magnus Abe (PDP-Rivers) said it was wrong for the
community to have taken laws into its hands no matter the crime committed by
the students.

According to him, it is high time that perpetrators of such
dastardly acts are fished out and punished to serve as a warning to others.

While ruling on the motion, Senate President, David Mark,
said what happened in Aluu was in every sense a condemnable act.

He said the Senate would do all within its power, strength
and might to address it.

In the same vein, the Okrika Divisional Council of Chiefs in
Rivers yesterday urged the police to ensure that killers of the four University
of Port Harcourt students were prosecuted.

The Chairman, Okrika Divisional Council of Chiefs, Chief
Nimi Adoki, told newsmen in Port Harcourt that the killing was “barbaric.’’

It would be recalled that personal information released by
the university about the victims showed that two of them hailed from Okrika
Local Government Area of the state.

Adoki said the law enforcement agencies should ensure that
everybody who took part in the dastardly act was made to face the law.

He said the people of Okrika would resist any temptation to
give ethnic coloration to the matter.