Students of Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt on Thursday, carried out a peaceful protest on campus over the alleged brutalization of their colleague by officials of the Man ‘O’ War in the university.

The victim of the brutalization, Victor Tobin, a 300-level student of Sociology was alleged to have walked on the pavement of the Man ‘O’ War office located near the Hostel F on the campus on Wednesday morning which angered some of the personnel who then pounced on him and inflicted injuries on his right causing serious bleeding.

On Thursday morning, the students staged a protest at the office of the Man ‘O War demanding to know what the victim did wrong to warrant such degree of injury inflicted on him.

The angry students numbering over hundred said they cannot stay and watch any of their colleagues being manhandled for no reason and demanded the immediate disbandment of the local security outfit (Man ‘O’ War) in the institution over what they termed gross human rights abuses.

“This is a university and we are adults. If they feel that our colleague has committed any offence the right to do so is to take him to the appropriate authority in the school or hand him over to the police.

“But subjecting him to such inhuman treatment is unacceptable. That is why we are protesting and we demand that the so-called Man ‘O’ War in RSU should be disbanded immediately from our campus. We will not tolerate them anymore,” one of the protesting students said.

The protest was said to have disrupted a meeting of the University management and the Students’ Union Government over the issue, as the students allegedly threatened to attack the personnel if they don’t leave the campus.

It was observed that the protest assumed a fever pitch as the students attempted to attack the Man O War personnel before policemen who arrived at the scene quelled the situation and successfully prevented a breakdown of law and order.

The Students Union Government, SUG, President of RSU, Abinye Pepple, said he got wind of the incident through one of the students and condemned the action of the Man O War,

“Firstly, I have to express my complete displeasure with the Man O War for carrying out that brutal act on one of my students and understand the frustration of my students that protested today.

“I also called the Vice Chancellor last night and expressed my displeasure and he immediately set up a meeting with management, SUG and the Man ‘O’ War so we can have a fair hearing on the matter and a decision can be taken on the Man O War on campus.

“That meeting was abruptly halted when we got wind of the protest and had to rush down there to restore order to our peaceful and loving students who were simply displeased with the act carried out on one of their own.

“Myself, and the VC addressed the students and the VC assured the students that a decision will be made tomorrow (Friday) morning in another meeting that has been scheduled. Our peaceful students eventually dispersed back to their respective classrooms and calm has been restored,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Acting Registrar of the institution, Mrs. I. B. S. Harry, in a statement on Thursday confirmed the attack on the student, saying management had convened an emergency meeting with the students’ leadership and the accused personnel to get to the root of the matter.

Mrs Harry, corroborated the views of the SUG President that normalcy has been restored, adding that lectures are ongoing and assured parents and guardians that the matter was receiving adequate attention.

“This is to inform parents and the general public that on Wednesday 12th June, 2024, there was a misunderstanding between some students and members of the Man O’ War at Hostel F in the Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, which resulted in physical injury on a student on Campus,” she added. (Vanguard)

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