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The University of Port Harcourt on Wednesday identified a 200-level student, of the Department of Physics, as the suspect who dismembered his eight-year-old niece, for ritual purposes.
The university confirmed the identity, via a statement issued on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, by Dr. Williams Wodi, UNIPORT’s spokesman.
The suspect was accused of abducting, raping, killing and dismembering the body of his eight-year-old niece, Chikamso Nmezuwuba, on Aug. 19 for ritual purposes.
The suspect was arrested by members of a vigilance group in the Eliozu area in Port Harcourt, while he was on the way to dispose the body of Chikamso, after using other parts of her body for a ritual.
The suspect was handed over to the Rivers Police Command but escaped while in detention.
Wodi said the management of the university was worried about the development particularly the disappearance of the suspect from detention.
“Any university administration and indeed all Nigerians should be very concerned about having students in any of our universities who turn out to be suspected ritual murderers.
“The university is working tirelessly with law enforcement agencies to fish out and bring to speedy justice such dubiously motivated characters who masquerade as a student.
“UNIPORT is working in concert with security agencies with the focus to re-arresting and bringing the suspect to book to serve as a deterrent to any other student with similar intent.
“We condole with the traumatized family of Chikamso and pray for the eternal repose of her soul while hoping for speedy justice to punish the offender,” he said.
Wodi said the university cannot be adjudged guilty by the mere fact that the suspected ritual killer is a student of the university.
He said the university should be exonerated from blame as the crime was committed outside the university campus and host communities.