The management of the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo state has said that a murder suspect and cultist , Chijioke Ogbonna , aka, Ogbotiti , recently arrested by the Imo State Police Command is not a student of the institution .
It would be recalled that Ogbonna, who was arrested by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the state for cultism, armed robbery and murder last week, had told journalists that he was a 300 level student of Public Administration at the polytechnic.
But the Deputy Rector , Academics, of the polytechnic, Moses Chukwuma, in an interview with our correspondent, described the suspect as an impostor.
Chukwuma also disclosed that the institution ’ s data system did not contain any document to show that Ogbonna was a student of the polytechnic.
Arguing that the suspect had mentioned the name of the institution just to put its integrity to test, he urged the general public to disregard Ogbonna’ s claim .
The deputy rector said “ We have read with concern a report in a national newspaper where one Chijioke Ogbonna , a cultist , armed robbery and murder suspect alleged that he was a student of our institution .
“ We state with equivocation that such an identity does not exist in our school data system. We view the suspect’ s claim as a passing off. He just wanted to put the integrity of our institution to test.
“ Our management Internet System does not recognise such an identity . Our reputation cannot be undermined by such a character. We take serious objection to such a passing -off by such a character.
“ Our institution has been the most stable in South -East in the last six years . There are no student disturbances . The management frowns at cultism and it is an instant expulsion if any of students is found involving in cultism.
“ Our rector is very proactive and incidents of cultism have been reduced to the barest minimum.
The Rector has informal methods that she is using to fight cultism on campus . She uses what we call the solemn general assembly and other platforms to counsel students on the dangers of cultism. We also do not joke with our internal security apparatus . The suspect was not and is not our student . ”
Ogbonna , who was paraded by the police last Saturday, also told journalists that he had killed three people since he was initiated into the Black Axe Confraternity in 2014.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Imo State, Andrew Enwerem , said the police had been on the trail of the suspect , whom he described as a deadly cultist and armed robber since 2014 for his alleged roles in other criminal activities .
Copyright PUNCH
