From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The management of Delta State Polytechnic in Ogwashi-Uku in Aniocha South Local Government Area has announced closure of the institution for one week following unrelenting attacks on student hostels in different parts of the host community.
The community has been under siege by armed robbers who are invading homes and attacking residents.
Rector of the polytechnic, Prof. Emmanuel Achuenu who made the announcement, said the move was to guarantee the safety of students, adding that the students are expected to resume academic activities on February 26, 2024.
Leadership of the Student Union Government (SUG) of the polytechnic, urged students to obey the order by the management to temporarily vacate campus.
In a jointly signed statement, President of SUG, Victor Anthony, secretary-general Onugege Graham, and public relations officer, Utomi Williams Blessings assured that within the period, the school management, SUG, the community and security agencies would monitor and take appropriate measures that would be used to curb the high insecurity.
But the state Commissioner of Police, Abaniwonda Olufemi said the institution was closed because of possible protest by students, adding security had been beefed up in the polytechnic town.
However, our correspondent learnt that most hostels along Azagba road been deserted for fear of attacks by the criminals.
Victims of the serial attacks had lost handsets, laptops to the hoodlums who forced them to transfer money in their accounts while also raping some female students and shooting anyone who resisted.
It was further gathered that the high spate of robberies started few weeks ago and has spread across the community.
An eyewitness simply identified as Chisom, narrated how one of the armed robbers had to scale the fence of the hostel and unlock the gate for the rest of the armed robbers after their attempts to break the gate failed.
According to her, the armed robbers came in their numbers, proceeded to tie up the two vigilantes in the compound and ordered them not to make noise or they would be shot.
“They went to the first room, bending the steel protector and pulling out the rods in the casement window in order to gain access and proceeded to rob the boy who stays in the room, all the time discussing how they were going to share the money.
“The second room was occupied by a girl so they did not put much effort into trying to break down the door, and after a few tries, they moved to the third room which happened to be empty at that time.
“If they had continued breaking down the doors like that, they would have come across my room, but it seemed they noticed that most of the persons staying in the first block of the hostel were girls, so they switched to the second block which was occupied by boys, and that was how I escaped being robbed.
“They robbed the first room in the block, carting away phones and other valuable properties and it was in the second room that they shot the boy residing there on the leg.
“According to what we heard coming from the room, the boy was shot twice, but the first bullet failed to penetrate his body, while he was able to extract the second bullet from his leg by himself before the police arrived and took him to the hospital hours later.
“The last room that was robbed was occupied by a boy who happened to be sleeping on his corridor because of heat. Immediately he woke up and saw the robbers, he tried to run inside the house but he was caught and beaten thoroughly with cutlasses and other weapons,” she narrated.