Following reports credited to the police that a lecturer in the Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Ekpoma, Edo State, was arrested over cult-related activities, the management of the institution has disclosed that the story was untrue, adding that the report was “totally false and embarrassing”.
While addressing journalists on Tuesday, Edo State police commissioner, Haliru Gwandu, had reportedly said that a lecturer at the AAU, a professor, was arrested for secret cult related activities and that a double-barrel gun, single barrel gun and one pump-action gun were recovered from him.
However, in a reaction signed by the public relations officer of the university, Edward Aihevba, the university debunked the allegations, pointing out that the institution had no cult-related issue since the inception of the administration of incumbent vice-chancellor, Prof. Ignatius Onimawo last year.
Aihevba said, “There has been no report from the Police Force or any individual or groups for that matter concerning any incident of cultism or cult-related activities.
“The Police Commissioner and his team could not have arrested any staff of the University, or found 14 dead students and not make a report, formal or informal, to the authorities of Ambrose Alli University.”
“The Police Commissioner, by his pronouncement has opened the way for damaging and libelous display of falsehood in the social media.”
He added that the university, last month, conducted election into the Student Union Government of the institution without any disturbance of any kind and that first semester examinations were currently ongoing in a peacefully.
He therefore demanded that the Edo State police commissioner retract the statement and apologize to the management and students of AAU within the next 24 hours.