From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Bandits suspected to be herdsmen on Thursday attacked students of St Paul’s College, Eke, in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, leaving one female student dead.
An eyewitness who spoke to journalists on Thursday night said other students who were equally hit by bullets were battling for survival in an undisclosed hospital.
A gruesome video displaying the lifeless body of the victim, as well as some of the survivors of the attack, is currently being circulated online.
A voice in the video narrated thus: “Fulani herdsmen attacked our students, they were going home after school; one of them was shot dead; four students were shot, one died instantly; they have done enough.
“See the corpse of the little student they have murdered. This one is unconscious, (pointing at another victim) we are praying that God will sustain her; she sustained four bullet wounds. “This was done by the Fulanis operating at Eke-Egede Road; these are the ones that survived; the government should come to our rescue. Our place is now a death zone.”
The Principal of the Catholic Church-owned school, Rev. Fr. Frank has confirmed the attack.
“It is true; we dismissed by 3:30 pm yesterday, as the students were going home, the bus they were in was attacked by gunmen; some of them received bullet wounds, and one later died in the hospital; Community sources said that the area had been a den of kidnappers for years with security agencies unable to stop the activities of the ravaging herdsmen. A community leader, who did not want his name in print said many victims of kidnap in Udi and Ezeagu areas are kept within the same location until ransom is paid. Those unable to meet up with the ransom demand were usually killed after a few days.
He said the forest spanning about 15 kilometres, called ‘Ofia-akwu’, had remained a death zone, with several lives lost in the past in the hands of the herdsmen who were into kidnapping. A famous traditional ruler was also reportedly abducted by the same gang after the attack on the school bus. It was leant that the monarch from Affa was kidnapped along Eke-Egede-Affa Road after a security meeting with the chairman of Udi Local Government and men of the neighbourhood watch.
Meanwhile the state Commissioner of Police, Enugu state, Kanayo Uzuegbu, has ordered a manhunt of the suspected bandits.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe (DSP), told Saturday Sun that CP Kanayo has already ordered a thorough investigation and arrest of the killers.
He said, “The Commissioner of Police has ordered the discreet investigation and manhunt of the yet-to-be identified armed hoodlums, alleged to have shot sporadically at a moving Golf car at Eke in Udi LGA. This caused the wounding and consequent death of a 12-year old female student, while three others, who sustained injuries, are responding to treatment in the hospital. Further development shall be communicated, please.”