The Rivers State Police Command has arrested three students from the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) in connection with a violent clash between two factions of the Vikings cult on campus.
The confrontation occurred on Thursday, as members of splinter groups within the cult engaged in a supremacy battle over leadership, resulting in a free-for-all that disrupted the peace of the institution. Gunshots and machete displays marked the clash, with one student reportedly sustaining injuries from machete cuts. The injured student was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Martins Azirindu, President of the UNIPORT Students Union Government (SUG), confirmed the incident and urged the university’s security team to enhance surveillance. He explained, “A particular cult group known as the Vikings Confraternity has two factions. A disagreement broke out between the two, but school security, the police, and the Vice Chancellor intervened, leading to the arrest of three students.”
Azizindu emphasized that the SUG, along with the university management, regularly organizes programs to educate students about the dangers of joining secret cults. He also called for improved security patrols and the clearing of bushy areas within the campus to prevent them from becoming hideouts for criminal activities.
In response to rumors circulating on social media, the university management, through its spokesperson Dr. Sam Kpenu, clarified that no deaths occurred during the clash. Dr. Kpenu credited the swift intervention of security personnel and the school management for preventing the situation from escalating.
The statement read, “Contrary to some inaccurate media claims, no student was killed or seriously injured. The prompt intervention of the management, security unit, and anti-cultism unit of the Nigeria Police ensured the situation was swiftly contained.”
The arrested students are currently undergoing interrogation at the Rivers State Police Command headquarters in Port Harcourt. Police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the arrests and stated that investigations are ongoing.
