Reports from Aluu, a Port-Harcourt community indicate that several houses and cars were destroyed by an irate mob on Tuesday evening. Aluu is the community where four students were killed on Friday, by residents, for alleged theft.
Earlier in the day, students of the University of Port-Harcourt embarked on a protest march around the Aluu community to protest the killing of four of their colleagues. The protest, which saw the students block the popular Choba junction, led to the burning of some houses in the community.
The earlier protest was witnessed by men of the Nigerian Police Force just as a police helicopter hovered over the students during the protest. The protest was believed to have ended in the evening and was set to continue on Wednesday.
It is not clear who is responsible for the arson which occurred in the evening, as reports indicate that the panic in Aluu has caused several students to pack their belongings and run away from the community, which has a high student population
A medical science student of the institution who called PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday evening said his friends living in Aluu had packed their belongings and moved out of the community for fear of losing their lives or property. The university authorities had earlier declared this week as a mourning week and free of academic activities.
The violence has now caused the university authorities to close the university indefinitely while an official statement from the institution is expected anytime soon.
Efforts to reach the police spokesperson for Rivers State, Ben Ugwuegbulam, failed as he did not respond to nor return calls made to him.
Mr. Ugwuegbulam had earlier in a telephone interview denied reports that the police were present when the four students were brutalized and burnt to death on Friday. He said the police were investigating the crime and had made thirteen arrests.
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