AAU Releases Statement on Arrest of 3 Lecturers over Cultism

PRESS RELEASE

The Management of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma is horrified by the false news story, making the rounds in the print, electronic and social media, credited to the Edo State Commissioner of Police, that three lecturers of the University have been arrested for alleged cult-related activities. 

 

 The Commissioner is reported to have further said that firearms were recovered from the arrested academics and that a double-barrel gun, single barrel gun and one pump action gun were recovered from a Professor. [see story here]





The Commissioner of Police was further reported as saying that fourteen (14) dead students were discovered at the particular time they went to inspect a particular site.

The Police Commissioner is reported to have said that they have a lot of issues with our particular University.

The University hereby debunks these statements as totally false and embarrassing.

We hereby state unequivocally that Ambrose Alli University has had no issue of cult-related activities since the inception of the administration of Prof. Ignatius Onimawo and his Management team. 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 fourteen (14) students dead 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.

The University Management hereby enjoins students of Ambrose Alli University to disregard this false, distressing and embarrassing report in the media, fuelled by officers of the Law.

We want to assure the general public that there is and there has been peace within and around the University environment. There is no cult activity and no death of any student in the University.

It is on record that on the 28th March, 2017, barely three weeks ago, this University conducted Students Union elections by electronic voting. The elections were adjudged free, fair and without rancour or disturbance of any kind. It is in fact the first time that any University in Nigeria has conducted hitch-free elections by e-voting. The Vice-Chancellor and the University have since been publicly applauded for this rare feat in a peaceful environment.

Currently, the first semester examinations are going on in a peaceful manner and students are going about their academic duties peacefully.

We hereby demand that the Edo State Police Commissioner retracts his statement and apologize to Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma within forty eight (48) hours, failing which the University will not hesitate to institute legal proceedings.


Edward U. Aihevba, FPISM,FNISM, MANUPA
Deputy Registrar, Information/Public Relations Officer