The mother of Starry Joshua Mustapha Okemebeose, a student of Gregory University, Uturu, Abia state, has written to the National Universities Commission (NUC), seeking investigation as to the cause of the assault and removal of her son from the school.
In the petition filed by Orduen Mark Feese, Esq, dated January 21, 2025, Mrs Rosecess Okemebeose asked the commission to investigate the action of the school and “pass the appropriate sanctions on Gregory University, Uturu, so as to assuage the hardship caused our client and to forestall further recurrence.”
According to the petition, the son, who was offered admission into Medicine and Surgery of the university for the 2024/2025 academic session with matric number 24040100002 which was communicated through a letter with reference number GUU/REG/AA/TWIMC/JMO/847/11/2024 dated November 7, 2024, was tortured, traumatised sent out into the night on allegations of being a criminal without evidence.
The lawyer stated further in the petition that Okemebeose left his hostel on December 12, 2024, to collect his faulty phone from the technician, only to be accosted by one of the school’s security personnel who accused him of being a criminal while he was returning from the repair shop.
“That without investigating the issue and notwithstanding that our client was not caught stealing anything, the security bound him with ropes hands backwards with legs.
“He was displayed in the tied condition at the entrance point of the university, in front of the security post for hours for passersby to see.
“Even when fellow students identified him as a student, the security still did not release him. He was later dragged into the security cell above the security office and locked there still tied for 18 hours,” he alleged.
Continuing, the lawyer said, “When our client’s mother called the security for explanations, she got insulted by the chief security officer. She then put a call across to the DVC Academics, who pleaded to be given 72 hours to investigate the incident and give her feedback.
“After waiting patiently for 72 hours, our client’s mother again called the DVC for feedback. But to her shock, he also insulted her and told her to do her worse. The DVC boasted of the power they have, as if she likes to let her take the matter to any authority, but nothing can happen, saying this was one of the small incidents that has happened in the university. He even sent messages to our client’s mother, doling insults and issuing threats. One of the threats the DVC issued was to remove our client from the school.”
However, when contacted to hear the authority’s side of the story, the DVC Academics, institution Vice Chancellor and Spokesperson could not be reached via phone.
When Blueprint Correspondent spoke with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the university, Professor Kalu Uche, he confirmed the incident, but refused to make further comment adding: ‘’The matter is before the CTC. It is under investigation and I don’t respond to issues that is before the police.’’