AAU SUG denies cultism tag allegation, threatens legal action

THE Students’ Union Government (SUG) of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State on Wednesday denied allegations that many of its members and other persons in the university community were cultists even as it threatened legal action against a newspaper where the said statement was published.

     A national newspaper had published an article entitled: Edo: Inside Story of Killings, Inter-cult clash in Ekpoma, where it was alleged that students of the university, auto-technicians, artisans and farmers in the university community were cultists.

   The article also accused AAU students of being behind bank robbery operations that have taken place in Ekpoma town.

   But a statement signed by the President of the SUG, Uyiosa Igbinigie, described the article as a deliberate attempt to damage the reputation of the university, “its students and the entire people of Ekpoma and Esan ethnic group.”

   The statement called on the author and the newspaper to retract the article and render unreserved apology or face litigations.

   “In the said write-up, Itua claimed that the cult members were the robbers that robbed banks at Ekpoma. How did Mr. Itua get to know these robbers? If he knew the robbers, let him report to the police for proper investigation. For the fact that Mr. Itua knew these robbers is enough for the police to go for him.

   “It takes a cult member to know a fellow cult member. If Mr. Itua is one, he better renounces his membership so as to separate the substance from the chaff. The university is no longer trying to find its feet, but is firmly and deeply rooted like the rock.

   “Our Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Cordelia Agbebaku who was appointed on acting capacity on May 2, 2011 and then confirmed as a substantive Vice-Chancellor in March 2014 has taken the university to an enviable height”, the statement stated.

   On the allegation of the members of the institution’s SUG being cultists, the statement clarified that, “students vying for positions in the Students’ Union are usually screened by the police, SSS and the electoral commission. None of our students’ executives belongs to any cult group.”