Police rescue five abducted Rivers State University students, release identities

The Rivers State Police Command has rescued five students of the Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt, who were abducted earlier this week at the university’s Emuoha satellite campus.

The Command also released the names of the rescued victims following the successful recovery operation carried out in the early hours of Thursday. According to Dailypost

The rescued students include Prince London, Azubuike Kelechukwu, Elizabeth Aniete, Onyebuchi Precious, and London Sampson.

The police confirmed that all five were recovered alive after a tactical operation in the Rumuodogo 2 community of Emuoha Local Government Area, where the abductors had taken them. The victims were immediately moved to a medical facility for evaluation.

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Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the operation was based on credible intelligence and swift deployment of tactical units.

She stated that the Command “acted promptly to secure the safe release of the students after tracking the kidnappers’ location through coordinated intelligence efforts.”

She noted that the rescued students were unharmed and that a manhunt had been launched for the fleeing suspects.

Reports  revealed that the students were abducted from their residences at the RSU satellite campus, a location that has witnessed repeated security concerns.

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Unidentified gunmen stormed the area at night, seizing the students and escaping into a nearby bush path. The incident triggered panic among parents and students, leading to calls for immediate government intervention.

A security source who participated in the operation told GlobalHints that officers worked overnight to trace the kidnappers.

“It was a delicate operation because the priority was to bring them out alive. We monitored movements in the surrounding forests and narrowed down the hideout before striking,” the source revealed.

The university community expressed relief following the rescue. RSU management stated that the safe return of Prince London, Azubuike Kelechukwu, Elizabeth Aniete, Onyebuchi Precious, and London Sampson was encouraging and thanked the police for their rapid response.

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The school also urged students to stay vigilant, especially those residing off-campus, emphasizing that security measures around the area would be strengthened.

Parents of the rescued students and other members of the RSU community have also reacted. Many praised the professionalism of the police but insisted that long-term security arrangements must be put in place to protect students living in the Emuoha axis.

Some parents described the incident as a “wake-up call” demanding urgent action from both security agencies and the university administration.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, has ordered increased patrols around universities in Port Harcourt, warning criminal groups that any attempt to target students would be met with decisive force.

He stressed that the police “will intensify surveillance and intelligence-driven operations to ensure such incidents do not occur again.”

Investigations are ongoing, and the police say they are closing in on the suspects. Officers are combing surrounding communities and working with local vigilantes to identify those behind the abduction.

Security analysts say the rescue highlights the importance of constant monitoring of student communities, particularly off-campus areas that lack adequate protection.

With the safe return of the five named students, calm has gradually returned to the RSU community, but concerns over student safety remain strong. As one senior police officer concluded,

“What matters now is ensuring that these criminals are arrested. We will not rest until everyone involved is caught and justice is served.”