A quiet night turned violent on Friday at a private off-campus apartment near the School Gate area of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), after a group of young men were allegedly attacked during what has been described as a suspected “gay party.”
The incident, which occurred around 9:45 PM, reportedly began when a mob of unidentified students and community youths stormed a small house party claiming it was “against our culture.” Eyewitnesses say the attackers forcibly entered the premises, shouting slurs and accusing the attendees of being gay, before descending on them with sticks, belts, and fists.
🗣️ “It was like a scene from a movie,” said an eyewitness who chose to remain anonymous. “We just heard loud shouts, and the next thing we saw were boys running out of the apartment with blood on their faces. Some were hiding behind parked bikes.”
“They Took My Phone… They Didn’t Even Ask Questions” — Victim Recounts
One of the victims, Emmanuel Ebenuwah, a 400-level student in the College of Engineering, spoke exclusively with InsideMOUAU.
“I was invited to a house hangout. We were just chilling, playing music and dancing when they broke in. They kept shouting ‘gay! gay! gay!’ and started hitting everyone. I lost my phone in the process. I don’t even know how they linked the party to being gay.”
“I’m not gay. But even if someone is, is that how to treat people?” he added, visibly bruised and shaken.
Multiple attendees declined to be photographed for this report, citing fear of further stigmatization and retaliation. However, several confirmed they were still nursing bruises and minor injuries from the attack.
Mob Culture or Misguided Morality?
The incident has sparked silent conversations on campus about identity, safety, and the dangers of mob justice.
“Even if you suspect something, you report to the right authorities,” said a student leader who asked not to be named. “You don’t take the law into your own hands. Today it’s a gay accusation, tomorrow it could be something else.”
Campus Security Yet to Issue Statement
As at the time of publishing, the school’s security department has not released an official comment on the matter. Unconfirmed reports say that two of the attackers have been identified by witnesses, but no arrests have been made.
InsideMOUAU will continue to follow this developing story.
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