Arrests Begin Over Videotaped Killing of UNIPORT Students; Plus The True Story

Following the lynching of four students of the University of Port Harcourt, River State, the police have arrested Aluu community leader, Alhaji Hassan Walewa.

The police on Sunday morning stormed Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area, where the students were beaten to death and set ablaze by a mob. Both the beating and the burning were videotaped and the film clip has gone viral on the Internet.

Also arrested by security agents were members of Walewa’s family and some students of the institution, who lived off campus.

It was gathered that the community was deserted when security agents and soldiers stormed the area in search of those who killed the students on Friday. The lynched students were identified as Lloyd, Tekena, Ugonna and Chidiaka. Those who lynched the students reportedly accused them of stealing laptops and phones.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ben Ugwuegbulam, confirmed that some arrests were made in Aluu, adding that any person found not culpable would be released.

According to him, the police are making progress on their investigation based on the information at their disposal. A source also said the video of how the students were killed was being investigated.

Conflicting acounts
Meanwhile, there were conflicting accounts on Sunday on how the students met their deaths. While some insisted that they were robbers, others claimed they were members of a cult. Yet, their friends said they were innocent.

Most of these disclosures were made on the Internet, especially the social media, where the deceased students’ friends and loved ones also gave vent to their sorrow.

Outrage on social media
There have been outrage on social media since the killings broke out on Friday. The majority of contributors on different fora insisted that the students shouldn’t have been lynched but handed over to the law enforcement agents.

Jennifer Okafor, a contributor on a blog said, “God will judge those that did that to them. Why didn’t they take them to the police? Ask those that killed those boys whether they have not stolen anything in their lives. The sins of those boys will be on the heads of those that killed them.”

Francis Obiagwu, a student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, also wrote, “People should have just beaten them and let them go or got them arrested by the police, rather than killing them. The people that killed them should be punished for taking the law into their hands.”

On his part, Alfred O’keke wrote, “What in the world is going on in this country? Have we lost our sense of humanity? That such a gruesome thing could happen to teenagers and there is no anger from the public. What is the difference between this and the killing of 42 students in Mubi in Adamawa State? Jungle justice! Where are we headed in this place called Nigeria?

“Politicians are busy looting our common wealth and confining our generations to perpetual poverty and these are the ones we hail, idolise and make kings.”

Dejo Olowu said, “We see all these extreme outbursts of mob justice, jungle justice, anger and venom in Nigeria, yet, some of us will still argue this has nothing to do with government or with leadership. It is a trickle-down effect, a consequence of our collective psychosis.”