A 300-level Mechanical Engineering student of Rivers State University (RSU), Mr Osaronwaji Sunday, was allegedly assaulted by members of the university’s Man O’ War unit.
This is not the first time RSU’s Man O’ War has been accused of attacking students
This would not be the first case of alleged brutality by Man O’ War, a volunteer paramilitary group that operates on many Nigerian university campuses, often assisting with campus security. In June 2024, RSU students staged a protest after officials of the group allegedly beat a 300-level Sociology student, Victor Tobin, near Hostel F, leaving him with a cut and swollen eye. He was reportedly attacked simply for walking on a pavement close to the Man O’ War office . The university later suspended four students linked to the assault for one academic session .
Man O’ War-related violence is not limited to Rivers State. In May 2026, a 100-level Cyber Security student at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Chinedu Chibuzor Christogonus, died after he was allegedly beaten by fellow Man O’ War members over an accusation that he stole ₦13,500. Three students were arrested in connection with his death. That case has since been described as part of a wider pattern of impunity among campus security and vigilante groups across Nigeria.
Why campus security groups like Man O’ War keep being accused of violence
Weak oversight: Man O’ War units on campuses often operate with little formal supervision or clear rules on how much force they can use against students.
Power without accountability: because these groups are trusted with keeping order, some members reportedly treat minor disagreements or suspicions as justification for physical punishment.
Slow or internal-only discipline: in the 2024 RSU case, the police said the university had not reported the matter to them and was handling it internally, which can leave students feeling that justice depends on the university’s goodwill rather than the law.
A wider culture of impunity: rights groups have linked repeated Man O’ War assaults to a broader problem of vigilante and paramilitary violence across Nigeria going unpunished .
How this affects students and Nigeria’s image
For the individual student, an assault like this can cause physical injury, fear, and distrust of the very group meant to protect them on campus. For fellow students, each new incident deepens the sense that no one is truly safe from the people guarding them.
At the national level, repeated cases like this raise hard questions about how Nigerian universities manage security and discipline. When a country already battles concerns about safety on its campuses, stories like this add to worries among parents deciding where to send their children, and they can damage the reputation of Nigerian universities among international observers and partners.
Possible solutions
Universities should ensure every Man O’ War unit operates under written rules limiting the use of force, with independent oversight rather than self-policing.
Any case involving physical injury should be reported to the police immediately, not handled only through internal university disciplinary processes.
Regular training on human rights and de-escalation for campus security groups could reduce the chances of minor disputes turning violent.
Universities should set up an accessible, confidential channel for students to report abuse by security personnel without fear of retaliation.
Our take
If this report is confirmed, it fits a troubling pattern. Groups like Man O’ War are supposed to protect students, not become another source of fear on campus. A university cannot claim to care about student welfare while quietly handling repeated cases of alleged brutality behind closed doors. RSU management needs to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves, including full cooperation with the police, and Nigerian universities generally need to ask themselves why the same story, a student beaten by the very people meant to guard them, keeps happening.
Published by Ejoh Caleb
