Vice Chancellor Orders Arrest of Final-Year Students

• UNIPORT Vice Chancellor orders arrest of students for violating the ban on sign-out activities.
• Viral video shows a lady and several students being dragged into a campus security vehicle.
• The arrested students were wearing white shirts marked with signatures — a sign-out tradition.
• Other students fled the scene to avoid arrest.
• The crackdown has sparked divided opinions online.

What should have been a day of celebration at the University of Port Harcourt turned into chaos after campus security arrested several final-year students for participating in a banned sign-out activity.

A viral video shared on social media captured the tense moment when a young lady and a few of her colleagues were forcibly taken away by campus security personnel. The visibly shaken students were seen wearing white T-shirts covered with signatures — a long-standing tradition symbolizing the end of one’s university journey.

Eyewitnesses said the arrests were carried out under the directive of the Vice Chancellor, who had previously issued a notice prohibiting sign-out activities within the university premises. Despite the warning, some students reportedly decided to defy the directive and celebrate anyway.

As security personnel descended on the scene, panic spread. Students scattered in different directions, abandoning their bags and personal items to avoid being caught. The viral video has since sparked outrage and debate online, with some defending the university’s strict enforcement of its rules, while others described the arrests as excessive and unnecessary.

The university has yet to release an official statement explaining why the celebratory tradition was banned or clarifying the next steps for the arrested students.

The UNIPORT arrests reflect a growing tension between institutional authority and student culture in Nigerian universities. Sign-out ceremonies, though unofficial, have become a cherished rite of passage for graduating students — a symbolic farewell to years of academic struggle. To many, it’s not just about signing T-shirts; it’s about celebrating survival, resilience, and achievement in a system that often feels unforgiving.

Yet, from an administrative perspective, universities have valid concerns. Over the years, sign-out events have escalated into rowdy parades and disruptive gatherings, sometimes leading to property damage or security breaches. But does arresting students truly solve the problem? Heavy-handed enforcement risks alienating students and creating unnecessary hostility between management and the student body.

This incident also reveals a deeper disconnect — one between university authorities trying to maintain order and young people yearning for self-expression. Instead of criminalizing joy, institutions could explore safer, coordinated ways for students to celebrate responsibly.

Ultimately, education should shape not only minds but also experiences. When a student’s last memory of campus life is being dragged into a van for celebrating success, something in the educational culture needs reflection. The line between discipline and dignity must never be blurred.