The University of Port Harcourt has debunked reports circulating on social media that a large snake was found and killed in one of its hostels and classrooms.
A viral post on Tuesday claimed that a snake, described as a deity, was discovered on campus, sparking panic.
An accompanying voice note further heightened concerns, prompting questions from students, parents, and the general public.
However, the university management, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, dismissed the report as false and misleading.
The university’s spokesperson, Dr Sammy Kpenu, said no such incident occurred on campus and urged students, stakeholders, and members of the public to disregard the claims.
While insisting that the university remains a safe place and environment to study, Kpenu said those behind the “misleading” report are people seeking cheap popularity to grow their followership.
The statement read, “The attention of the University of Port Harcourt Management has been drawn to unfounded rumours and misleading social media posts alleging that a ‘big snake’ was killed in one of the classrooms on campus and being described as a deity.
“There is also a voice note in circulation, spreading fear and insinuating doom, further fuelling this baseless claim.
“The University wishes to categorically state that these claims are entirely false, baseless, and a figment of the imagination of mischief-makers.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no snake was seen, no snake was killed, and no incident of such nature has occurred anywhere on the University campus.”
The statement accused those behind the report of seeking “cheap popularity, attention, and followership on social media at the expense of the peace and reputation of the University of Port Harcourt.
“Management strongly advises members of the public, staff, students, and stakeholders to disregard this fake news in its entirety and desist from sharing such misleading information.
“Appropriate measures have been taken to monitor and report those deliberately spreading these falsehoods to the relevant authorities.”
The university advised members of the public to rely only on official communication channels for accurate information and warned that appropriate steps had been taken to track those spreading the falsehood.
