By Michael Chukwuebuka, Reporting
NO fewer than 30 hostels were, early Friday, raided with nine female students raped and 17 injured when a gang of suspected armed robbers struck.
Reports say the hostels raided were off-campus hostels of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.
The gunmen numbering about 20 had stormed the Ifite road, Awka where the hostels were located.
They reportedly fired warning shots sporadically and robbed from room to room and hostel to hostel unchallenged for about three hours.
A student of the university said the robbers were heavily armed with guns axes and machets going from room to room, raping female students and robbing them of their phones, ipads and money.
“We were at the hostel when we had gunshots that lasted for about ten minutes and we ran for our lives because they have not gotten to our own hostel and we had hidden at the back of some shops in the area.
“Then we had loud noise of female students shouting for help but nobody could summon the courage to stop them because they are well armed.
“Those that attempted to resist were beaten blue black and many people got injured but I cannot say the number of people affected.
“One of the female students that was raped is a virgin and they raped her twice and we are holding her because she wants to commit suicide”.
“The number of hostels in Ifite -Awka is about 300 and including upstairs and bungalows but from what we got after the incident, more than 17 students were injured and that number of those raped may be between nine and 10,” the student noted.
It was, however, gathered that a call was placed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo who ordered security operatives to battle the robbers, but before they could arrive, the operation was almost over.
Recall that four days before the incident, some suspected robbers have been visiting restaurants and bars, robbing students and bar owners at gunpoint between 7:00 p.m and 9:00 p.m which resulted in the restaurants closing early while some students fled their hostels for fear of attacks.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident.
He said “Our men on getting wind of the information got to Ifite Awka and was able to battle the criminals”
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