The family of Julius Okpor, a 300-level Computer Science student at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, who was fatally shot last Saturday, is calling for a comprehensive investigation into his death.
They are also strongly denying police reports that linked their late son to cultism.
Recall that the Rivers State Police spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, had issued a statement indicating that Julius, an indigene of Okposi community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, was shot during a suspected clash between rival cult groups in Rumuolumeni, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, where the university is situated.
However, speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday evening, Ambrose Okpor, the elder brother of the deceased, unequivocally dismissed claims of his brother’s involvement in cult activities, asserting that Julius was “never a cultist.”
Ambrose recounted learning of the incident from his brother’s friend, who informed him that Julius had been critically injured after being shot.
He immediately rushed to the scene, where he found policemen and members of OSPAC (a vigilante group), but tragically, Julius had already passed away.
He also clarified a discrepancy in the police report regarding where Julius’s remains were deposited.
Contrary to the police statement, which claimed the body was taken to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Ambrose confirmed that his late brother’s remains were deposited at the Military Hospital in Port Harcourt.
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“On July 19, 2025, I received a distress call at about 9 pm from my brother’s friend, who is also his neighbour at Celelia Street, Rumuolumeni, that my brother had been shot and was lying critically on the street,” Ambrose explained.
“On getting to the scene, I saw some policemen and OSPAC. We discovered he died on the spot and we immediately took his remains to the Military Hospital along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.”
He continued, “Now the news has it that my brother was taken to the UPTH, which is not correct. My brother was never a cultist. And I want to call on the Nigeria Police to ensure that they get my brother’s killers and ensure that justice is served.”
A distraught Ambrose stressed that the family would not rest until those responsible for Julius Okpor’s murder face justice. “We will not let this slide because we are his family members. He is my younger brother, and we will not stop until justice is served. My brother was gruesomely murdered by unknown gunmen,” he stated.
Describing his late brother, Ambrose reiterated, “He was a 300-level student of Computer Science at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education. He was never a cultist and he does not have any bad record because he lived a free life.”
He added that Julius’s neighbours on Cevelia Street, where he resided as a caretaker, “spoke good of him.”