The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Imo State University

  • Final year student shot dead at her birthday party

    A final year Banking and Finance student of the Imo State University (IMSU), Miss Kelechi Assumpta Ibeh, has been killed. She was shot dead by yet-to-be identified gunmen when she was marking her 23rd birthday. EKENE AHANEKU (600-Level Medicine and Surgery) and KEN EBEREOGU (400-Level Political Science) report.

    A final year student of the Imo State University (IMSU), Miss Kelechi Assumpta Ibeh, marked her 23rd birthday in a big way last Thursday. It was her last.

    The Banking and Finance student was shot dead by suspected secret cult members, who allegedly stormed her hostel where she held a party to mark the day.

    The incident happened on Douglas Road in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

    It was gathered that Kelechi was shot at  close range as she was about cutting her birthday cake. The motive for the killing has been a subject of controversy. Some speculated that she was targeted allegedly because of her boyfriend’s involvement in a deadly fight between two cult groups in the school.

    Some eyewitnesses said the assailants were armed robbers. The late Kelechi was said to have been shot after she refused to submit her mobile phone to the assailants.

    The Department of Banking and Finance was thrown into mourning when the news of her death broke. Her colleagues were shocked because the late Kelechi was said to have posted pictures of her birthday party on the social media moments before she was killed.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that there was a fight between members of two cult groups on Douglas Road on Wednesday evening. It was learnt that members of a rival group returned to the area in search of their opponents, unleashing terror on residents and passersby.

    Traders hurriedly closed their shops when the armed hoodlums moved to Nwaorie Lane, off Douglas Road, robbing residents at gun point. The hoodlums invaded Edede Street, beside Eastern Basic Nursery and Primary School, also on Douglas Road.

    An eyewitness said the assailants pointed a gun at Kelechi, ordering her to submit all her valuables. But, the deceased was said to have refused to drop her phone.

    The eyewitness said many of the party guests were injured as they ran for safety. The witness said the hoodlums used coded language, suggesting that they were cult members.

    The late Kelechi’s family members were still in shock when CAMPUSLIFE visited them. Her elder brother, Stanley, who graduated from the Faculty of Humanities, said the family had reported the matter to the police.  The family, he said, wanted the perpetrators  brought to book.

    Stanley cautioned people against  speculations about his sister’s death, urging them to wait for the police investigation. He said the funeral of the deceased had not been fixed, because “we are still in shock”.

    Stanley said: “I am not supposed to be speaking to you (reporters), because we have not got over the shock of the death of my sister. We want people to stop speculating that she was having an affair with a cult member, which is why she was targeted. This is all lies. The fact is that, the true story around my sister’s death would be revealed and those who killed her will be brought to justice. She was supposed to graduate this year and some people who have no conscience picked guns, pulled the trigger and killed her on her 23rd birthday. It is painful.”

    Some of her colleagues recalled how she encouraged them to read during the recently- concluded first semester examination.

    “The late Kelechi was the one telling some of us to study hard for our first semester examination, because she didn’t want anyone to be delayed in school due to carryover. She read all through the night in preparation for the examination. She didn’t come to school for some days because she had been running around for her final year project,” her colleague, who gave her name as Chinyere, told CAMPUSLIFE.

    President of the IMSU chapter of the National Association of Banking and Finance Students Victor Adiele said: “The news of the death of Kelechi hit us like a stray bullet. It is really a sad period for all graduating Banking and Finance students, our department and the university community at large. In tears and agony, we mourn the death of our colleague murdered by unknown gunmen.”

    Victor said the late Kelechi could not have been the target of the assailants, noting that she was not known to be a troublemaker.

    He said: “She was friendly and played with everyone. She was never known to be a troublemaker. We are still surprised why she became a victim of this gruesome murder.”

    Stanley Nwakurume, her colleague, said he could have been at the birthday party but for his busy schedule on the fateful day. He described the late Kelechi as a “gentle soul”, saying her death should be atoned by bringing the assailants to justice.

    The class representative, Obizuo Chibuzo Shedrack, said her colleagues had been in pain since the incident.

    He said: “To every one of us, it came as a mystery for her to die on her birthday. The most painful part is that, she died when she was about to graduate after four years in the university. It is a great loss to us.”

  • Row over missing clothes turns bloody

    Row over missing clothes turns bloody

    A protracted disagreement between Anesthesia Onwunezi, a graduating student of Religion at the Imo State University (IMSU) in Owerri, and her roommate, Glory John, a 200-Level Education Guidance and Counselling student, turned bloody last Sunday. Anesthesia was said to have stabbed Glory during an argument over her missing clothes. EKENE AHANEKU (600-Level Medicine and Surgery) reports.

    What started as an argument between two students of the Imo State University (IMSU) in Owerri, last Sunday, ended in a bloody scuffle. A graduating student of Religion, Anesthesia Onwunezi (known as Stacy) allegedly stabbed her roommate, Glory Ezinne John, a 200-Level Education Guidance and Counselling student, with a pair of scissors during a disagreement over clothes.

    It all happened at the Albert Akaegbulam Memorial Hostel, an off-campus Hall of Residence, at the school’s Back Gate.

    During the melee, Stacy allegedly used the scissors to pierce Glory’s face and her hand.  Stacy subsequently went to report the matter at a police station in a bid to get Glory arrested.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the roommates had been living like cat and mouse since they were allotted the same room in the hostel. They usually engaged in exchange of hot words over missing clothes. Other occupants of the hostel, it was learnt, regularly intervened each time they had a disagreement.

    The latest disagreement began when Glory found out that some of her clothes were missing. Suspecting that Stacy must have stolen the clothes, Glory picked Stacy’s clothes from her wardrobe and hid them.

    Narrating how the fight started, Glory told CAMPUSLIFE: “I always noticed that my clothes in the room were getting missing. I noticed this a few weeks after I became Stacy’s roommate about 10 months ago. Whenever I asked her about the missing clothes, she would ignore my questions. When this did not stop, I reported to the hostel manager who did not respond. I kept having my clothes and other personal belongings missing until I decided to hide Stacy’s clothes.”

    So when Stacy returned to the hostel, she noticed that some of her clothes were missing from where she kept them. When she enquired from Glory, the 200-Level Education Guidance and Counseling student owned up, saying  the clothes were in  her possession.

    “I confronted her with evidence that she had been the one stealing my clothes. I told her if she didn’t release my clothes, I won’t bring out her own clothes too,” Glory said.

    The argument continued till the evening and Stacy became impatient to retrieve her clothes from Glory. When Glory stepped towards the kitchen corner in their apartment, Stacy demanded the release of her clothes but Glory refused. Stacy swiftly picked the pair of scissors stabbed Glory in the face and cut her fingers.

    “Stacy’s aim was to kill me. After she stabbed me and I was bleeding, I made an attempt to run outside but I discovered that she had locked the door. I struggled to open the door, while I was screaming for help. Other occupants rushed to the scene and forced the door open to rescue me,” Glory explained.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that Stacy turned down entreaties by neighbours, urging her to take Glory to the hospital for treatment after the bloody fracas. Instead, she went to report the incident at a police to get Glory arrested for theft. Stacy allegedly told the police that all the hostel occupants ganged up to harm her.

    Stains of blood welcomed the policemen at the hostel. The hostel occupants led the police to the clinic where Glory was being treated. When the policemen found out the statement given them by Stacy ran contrary to what happened in hostel, they returned to their station without making any arrest. At this time, Stacy had allegedly fled station.

    When he learnt about the incident, the hostel manager was said to have reported the matter at the Criminal Investigation Department of the police in Owerri.

    CAMPUSLIFE made efforts to get Stacy to comment, but she neither picked calls nor replied to text messages our correspondent sent to her mobile phone. A man identified as Stacy’s brother, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE on telephone, said: “The matter has been resolved. I won’t give further comment on this.”

    He terminated the call afterwards and switched off his phone.

    Glory’s brother, Kingsley, denied the matter had been resolved. He threatened to take up the matter to ensure Stacy is punished for hurting his sister.

    Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Kingsley said: “I still don’t know the reason the police have not arrested Stacy up till this moment. We can no longer tolerate this excuse from the police. A citizen’s life was threatened, yet the police expect we sweep the matter under the carpet. I will push on this fight to ensure my sister gets justice.”

    When our correspondent visited Glory on Monday night, she confirmed Stacy’s parents and siblings visited her, pleading on her behalf.

    Glory said: “Her parents were with me for hours, begging me not to allow the matter get out of hand. But, Stacy has remained unremorseful and has not called nor visited me since the incident took place.”

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the landlord of the property had issued Stacy a quit notice. She was expected to pack her belongings out of the hostel last Tuesday.

    The Students’ Union Government (SUG) Director of Information, Godwin Joseph, described the incident as disturbing, wondering why a student could go to the extent of threatening the life of her roommate. He said Stacy’s behaviour was an indication of how senior colleagues treated freshers.

    He said: “We will continue to plead with the school management as they are about to open the new hostels in the school. They should allow all 100-Level students to be accommodated on campus. This will help reduce the common incidents of senior students maltreating their junior colleagues because they share rooms in off-campus hostels.

    “We understand the effort the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Victoria Obasi, is making to protect students on and off-campus, especially the female students. We expect this incident to further accelerate efforts to ensure safety of freshers. We thank God that the student that was stabbed is responding to treatment, but her face is left with scars of injuries.”

     

     

  • ‘No accreditation, no lecture’

    ‘No accreditation, no lecture’

    Medical students of the Imo State University (IMSU) in Owerri disrupted activities on the campus and the school’s Teaching Hospital, last Monday, to protest the management’s inability to get their programmes accredited, after three failed attempts. Most of the students have spent 10 years studying a six-year course. FRANKLIN ONWUBIKO reports.

    How long should it take to study Medicine and Surgery in any university in Nigeria? It is six years, according to the National Universities Commission (NUC), the body that accredits and regulates academic curricula.

    But, at the Imo State University (IMSU) in Owerri, the period for medical training seems indefinite, as students admitted into the Medical College are yet to  graduate, 10 years after. Reason: the insitution’s medical programmes have not been accredited by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) after three consecutive attempts.

    Worried by the development, medical students staged a protest that disrupted activities on the campus last Monday. The protesters decried what they called the school’s “slow response” to the accreditation challenges, resolving that they would boycott lectures and clinical activities until the management gets their programmes accredited.

    Clad in white lab coats, the protesters gathered at 10:30am at a classroom, from where they took off. They carried various placards with inscriptions, such as: “No lecture except our programmes are accredited”, “Give us a date for another accreditation”, “We are tired of failed accreditation”, and “What is our fate after 10 years?”, among others.

    The IMSU Medical Students’ Association President, Chukwuebuka Nkwogu, who was admitted nine years ago, urged the students to be peaceful in expressing their grievances as he led the protesters to the office of the Medical College Provost, who was not in the office.

    The protesters turned the provost’s office to a prayer spot. They went on their knees and ‘cast out’ the devil standing against their programmes’ accreditation.

    The protesters marched on the IMSU Teaching Hospital, chanting solidarity songs on the corridors. They were addressed by the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Frederick Anorue, and the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) Chairman, Dr. Henry Chineke.

    Anorue told the protesters that all hands were on deck to ensure that the institution met the conditions for accreditation. He advised the students to list their demands, so he could discuss the issues with the Vice-Chancellor (VC).

    Anorue reassured Pathology and Pharmacology students that their courses would soon be okayed. He said: “The management is working hard to help the conditions of students. The VC has promised to take the bull by the horn and get the affected courses accredited.”

    His address was followed by chants of solidarity songs by the protesters, an indication that they did not accept his explanation.

    Chukwuebuka thanked the CMD for identifying with the students’ plight, noting that the protest would continue until a new date is announced for accreditation.

    He said: “The students have been left heartbroken and disappointed. Most of us have been stagnated on the same academic level for years but the management seems not bothered by our plight. The school and other stakeholders are not showing enough concern. Under normal circumstances, we shouldn’t be the one telling the school what it needs to do.

    ‘’We are concerned because our future is at stake. This is why we are involved in the accreditation discussion and sending delegates to meet with the administrative staff. We are tired of asking what the problem is.”

    The protesters said boycotting classes would make the management to solve the problems quickly. They said there was no need to continue learning since they did not see the results of their professional examination.

    Since the beginning of the year, CAMPUSLIFE gathered, no effort had been made by the IMSU to bring back the MDCN’s accreditation team to to assess Medical College’s programme, a development that left the students unsettled. It was learnt that the last exercise was last November.

    The protesters went to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit of the hospital, where they also prayed against the devil. Afterwards, they moved through the Resident Doctors’ Quarters and returned to the spot from where they took off.

    A former leader of the students’ association, Dr. Nzeoma Ogechi, now a House Officer at the Teaching Hospital, praised the protesters for being peaceful. He advised the students to be articulate in their demands, promising his support for the struggle.

    Chukwuebuka told The Nation: “There is a major problem at the Pathology department, where students have completed the syllabus, but the examination would not be conducted because of this accreditation challenge. If this is not resolved on time, students are likely to spend more than 12 years in school.

    “We are still forced to collect stipends from our parents and some students are having psychological problem. Some of our lecturers who have children in the Medical College have withdrawn them to other schools, seeing that things are not working out. Apart from the government’s intervention we plead for, we as well need a pragmatic college management.”

    Most of the protesters bore matriculation numbers issued in 2008/2009 session. One of them, Stanley Onyekwere, the final year class representative, said: “We are tired of being told to be hopeful about the accreditation. Why should I spend 10 years for a six-year programme? We are deeply concerned that management has not announced the date for re-accreditation. We have already gone beyond the six-month duration given. We want to know when the accreditation team is coming to the campus.”

    Emeka Uzomah, who has been in school for eight years, said: “We are tired of what is happening in our environment and that is why we are staging this peaceful protest. We don’t want the next generation to suffer this same fate. We need the management to sit up and get the medical school going. Our mates in other schools have graduated and we are still in this same system.”

    Stella Ugochukwu, the Medical Students’ Association Vice-President, said the protest would be massive next time.

    “We are on accreditation struggle and we shall pursue it to a logical conclusion. Our 10-year stay in the school has become our nightmare. We are stagnated at a level and move around a circle. We want management to give us a date for the accreditation. We don’t want to stay more than the abnormal 10 years we have already spent in school. Accreditation has been our greatest fear and we plead with the government, the management and well-meaning citizens of the state to help us achieve this goal.”

    The protesters hoped the demonstration would instigate actions that would lead to the full accreditation of their programmes.

  • Girls in Aba start sex at age 10 – Research

    A medical practitioner, Dr Godwin Uwaoma, said on Thursday that girls in Aba, Abia engage in active sexual activities from the age of 10, raising higher chances of contracting HIV.

    Uwaoma, the Chairman of the Thematic Working Group at the Nigerian Faith Based Advisory Council for AIDS (NFACA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aba that a 2014 research revealed the development.

    He said that the study was conducted to find out the awareness of preventive measures among youths in the secondary schools for the Department of Public Health at the Imo State University.

    “We discovered that some girls in Aba start sexual activities at the age 10 to 12 and that at the age of 12, girls in Aba have “regular boyfriends” with whom they agree to have sex regularly.

    “This was not known before.  Usually HIV prevention was targeted at age 15 upward but we now know that before 15 they have become sexually active.

    “And there is a lot of difference between when you are forced into it and you remove yourself thereafter and when at this age you now have a regular partner.

    “That was what we discovered and it is not normal but an aberration but obviously the fact is there,” he said.

    At a lecture organised by the Aba chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to mark their week, Uwaoma called for prevention rather than cure which was unavailable for HIV cases.

    He urged the students to desist from watching pornographic films, playing sexual games with opposite sex and keeping bad friends to save them from sexual temptations.

    In another lecture titled “Sex and Puberty,” Dr Kenneth Ngwogu, a lecturer at the Abia State University, said that puberty brought changes in character and body composition to young people.

    Noting that most youths ruined their lives through dangerous actions like early sex, Ngwogu urged them to consult doctors or adults to manage the challenges of puberty.

    He charged the youth to desist from sexual activities which could refocus their attention while in school to reach their goals of becoming successful people.

  • Festival of fun, fury

    Festival of fun, fury

    It was all fun at the Imo State University (IMSU) during the Students’ Union Week, sponsored by Etisalat Nigeria and Solo Phones, a telephone firm. AHANEKU EKENE (300-Level Optometry) reports.

    The Imo State University (IMSU) in Owerri was agog last week as students gathered for their union week. Etisalat Nigeria, a mobile telephone service provider, in collaboration with Solo Phones, hosted the soccer tournament to mark the Week.

    For many students, the soccer fiesta was the biggest sporting event ever held on the campus. Students trooped to the pitch for the game.

    Activities marking the week started with a health awareness programme, anchored by Hardy Mbadugha, a 400-Level Optometry student and the union’s Director of Health. This culminated in a raffle draw organised by the union and Etisalat. Students won prizes, such as books, shirts, Android phones, laptops and the grand prize of a Kia Picanto.

    Students were thrilled by the soccer event and music show, which brought popular hip-hop artistes, such as Phyno and Terry G to the campus. The local artistes, including Golden Okafor (X-busta), the union’s Director of Socials, also thrilled the students with their music during the football match.

    Four teams – SUG Executive, Union Parliament, Judicial Council and School – participated in the football tournament. The matches, which had male and female teams, were officiated by the school’s sport officials.

    Before the opening match between the SUG Executive Team and the Union Parliament Team, gifts were given to students who participated in the ball-raising exercise.

    The opening match was entertaining. The Executive Team, with SUG President Christian Ogbu as skipper, beat the Parliament Team 2-1. This qualified the winning team for the next round of the tournament. The union Speaker, Odinaka Ezeji, led the Parliament Team.

    The second match was played by the School Team and the Judicial Team. As the match was going on, branded items, such as exercise books and shirts, were given to students. The Judicial Team won 1-0.

    The final match was played between the two winning teams; the losers slugged it out in the third place contest.

    The Nigerian Red Cross Society officials were on hand to treat the injured.

    The Executive Team scored the opening goal a few minutes into the game. The Judicial Team equalised 70 seconds into the injury time. In the penalty shootout, the Executive Team won 4-3.

    Speaking to CAMPUSLIFE, Hardy, who played in the Executive Team, said: “This is my first time of playing on a standard field. It was really a nice experience for me. The cheers from the crowd made the game memorable.”

    For the union’s Sport Director, Chijioke Obilaso, a 300-Level Philosophy student, the soccer event was fulfilling. He said: “I am grateful because this tournament marks a great achievement for me as the Sport Director. I thank the union president and others who helped me achieve this landmark in IMSU’s sport history.”

    After the trophy was presented to the winners, X-busta and other school artistes thrilled the crowd of students on the field.

    Chiamaka Onyedeke, 300-Level Law, said: “It was a wonderful day. I am happy because I enjoyed myself throughout the event. I commend the union president and his team for this feat. We appreciate Etisalat and Solo Phones, which have proven, by the sponsorship of the game, that they are friends of all Imo State University students.”

     

  • Man nabbed for transformer disruption

    Amiddle-age man, whose name could not be ascertained, has been arrested by team of policemen attached to Divisional Police Command, Owerri, Imo State for allegedly tampering with the transformer of Bishop’s Court residence.

    Bishop’s Court is an area populated by students of the Imo State University (IMSU). Recently, power supply to the neighbourhood had been irregular, a development that made residents to be worried.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the suspect sprinkled a powdery substance on the transformer and tried to disrupt its function because the residents allegedly refused to allow him to take charge of the service and maintenance of the transform.

    Our correspondent gathered that the suspect had been exploiting the residents through the service of the transformer. A student, who is a resident in the area, said: “He collected money from the landlords and students for the maintenance. But when he could not do it properly, we terminated the relationship, which made him to threaten to switch off the transformer. But policemen came in and he was arrested for tampering with our transformer.”

    One of the off-campus hostels’ presidents, Chima Amadi, told CAMPUSLIFE: “This will serve as a lesson to others, who want to be exploiting students living off-campus. Thank God that the police has wade into the matter.

    Efforts made by our correspondent to reach the police for comment were futile.

     

  • Varsity postpones post-UTME

    The Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri has postponed its post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which was scheduled to hold from July 17 to 19. No new date has been fixed for the exercise.

    The postponement was announced by the Director of Information of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) Ekene Ahaneku, who spoke on behalf of Dr Njoku Obi, the university’s Public Relations Officer (PRO).

    Ekene said the decision was taken by the management to rectify problems being faced by applicants, who experienced difficulty in submitting their forms.

    “A new date will be announced later,” he explained, urging candidates, who were yet to purchase scratch cards for the examination to do so at the designated bank – IMSU Micro Finance Bank – in order to be allowed to take part in the process. He said the university portal had been re-opened for online registration.

    In a related development, Dr Njoku warned applicants to beware of touts selling scratch cards at the institution’s gate and demanding them to pay certain amount of money to be admitted into the university. He stated that purchasing scratch cards from touts would not automatically guarantee them admission into the university as claimed by the fraudsters.

    At the time of this report, some of the post-UTME candidates were seen loitering around the campus. A female applicant, who did not mention his name, complained about the hitches in the process, saying: “The crowd here is large and it is challenging to print out our documents.”

    Another candidate, Winifred Opara, said: “I came all the way from Lagos only to be told that the exam has been postponed. I am confused and I don’t know what to do now.”

    However, a source, who spoke in confidence, said the screening may have been postponed due to the ongoing strike by members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).