UNIPORT: JTF guns down students killer

Posted by admin Armed Forces, Headlines, Rivers, State News Sunday, October 21st, 2012

• Arrests three others
• Identities of victims revealed by JTF

The Joint Task Force (JTF) in Rivers State yesterday shot dead one of the alleged brains behind Thursday’s killing of a student of the University of Port Harcourt and two others at Rumuchakara, Choba, a host community of the institution.

Operatives of the JTF, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, also arrested three others suspected to have taken part in the killing of the 300 level female undergraduate identified as Bere Aghagha; a member of Batch “C” National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Gabriel Akinbayo, who passed out in Port Harcourt earlier that day and Kennedy Okodhi.

Two other members of the gang reportedly escaped with gunshot wounds.

The hoodlums opened fire on their victims at about 9:45 pm on Thursday soon after celebrating Akinbayo’s completion of his national service.

It was gathered that the security outfit which launched an immediate manhunt for the killers tracked them to their hideout at Choba at 1:45 am and intercepted their operational vehicle, a Toyota Avalon, with registration number Kano: AG 320 MDB.

A gun battle soon ensued resulting in the death of one of the hoodlums and the arrest of another.

The Public Relations Officer of the 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, Major Michael Etete, paraded the suspects yesterday.

Etete stated that after the shoot-out, two young men suspected to be members of the gang, came on rescue mission in another Toyota Avalon car, with registration number Rivers: AU 207 PHC, but were arrested at Choba Junction bringing the number of arrested killers to three.

The army PRO pledged that efforts were being intensified to apprehend the two fleeing gunmen.

Items recovered from the hoodlums included two Toyota Avalon cars, four AK-47 rifles, 16 magazines, and many rounds of live ammunition, six mobile telephone handsets and three driver’s licences.

Thursday’s killings happened barely two weeks after four undergraduates of UNIPORT were murdered at Omuokiri-Aluu, Ikwerre LGA, another host community of the university.

Thirteen persons arrested in connection with the lynching have been charged to court

The Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, stated that only justice would satisfy the bereaved families and members of the public that watched the October 5 gory lynching of four students of the university, while pleading for calm.

Ajienka said: “We want to be sure that our students and staff, who live in the host communities, would be guaranteed of their safety and harmonious relationship with their landlords, as used to be the case.

“Many of our staff and students no longer feel safe in the Aluu neighbourhood. I have a responsibility to all of them. In a society that is governed by the rule of law, we all expect that everybody that is directly or remotely connected with the heinous murder of our students will be speedily brought to book, to serve as a deterrent to others, who may wish to follow such unacceptable conduct.”

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