Living in fear

Tension, anxiety in Ebonyi health college after gunmen’s attack

From Uchenna, Abakaliki

Students of Ebonyi  College of Health Science, Ngbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state, are living in fear following an attack on female students of the institution by gunmen in their hostel in the school, which left over 10 of them injured, with their property and cash looted.

Some of the students sustained gunshot injuries while some sustained machete wounds during the attack last week. The victims are receiving treatment in two hospitals in the area.

The state police public relations officer, Joshua Ukandu, who confirmed the incident, said operatives of the command swung into action on receiving the report of the incident. He said operatives are on the trail of the gunmen as investigation was ongoing to unravel the motive behind the attack.

The PPRO disclosed that the gunmen dispossessed the students of their belongings  during the incident.

“That incident occurred by 2am on Tuesday this week and our people were called but, before we could respond, the hoodlums had run away.

“The hoodlums basically came to steal and they beat up the students and made away with their belongings, including cash, phones, power banks, laptops and other items.

“Our people are already investigating the incident. The school is very porous and has no fence, you can see it if you go there.

“From what I heard, the school has no normal security guard(s). But we are on the matter and investigation is ongoing”, he stated.

Some students of the college, who did not want their names in print, told our reporter that that were leaving the hostel following the incident.

“People are packing out of this hostel. See what we are facing in Nigeria. Our hostel was attacked by gunmen and they injured many students in the hostel and stole their belongings.

“Some of the victims are receiving treatment in the General Hospital here in the local government while others are receiving treatment in a private hospital in the local government.

“So, students are packing out of the hostel because of this incident, we are in fear”, one of them said.

Provost of the college, Chetachi Chibueze Jerry Usulor, confirmed the incident too. She said no student was missing in the attack, contrary to speculations.

Usulor said the attackers invaded the hostel in the morning, carting away phones, cash, ATM cards and other valuables from students. She explained that the incident occurred at 1:20am when the hoodlums stormed the hostel and began demanding valuables from students.

According to her, she immediately alerted security agencies, including the police, Homeland Security personnel and other persons in authority, who responded to the distress call.

“I called the police control room, the divisional police headquarters and Homeland Security personnel. As people started arriving at the scene, the hoodlums fled”, she said.

The provost attributed the security breach partly to the large expanse of unfenced land within the institution, noting that, although the state government had earlier released funds for fencing, additional resources were needed to complete the project.

She disclosed that the attackers escaped through one of several access points around the campus after hearing approaching voices and noticing the arrival of security personnel and residents.

Usulor said the casualties recorded during the incident were not a result of direct attacks by the hoodlums but occurred when some students jumped from the one-storey hostel building in an attempt to escape.

“Some of the students living upstairs jumped through the windows out of fear or while trying to hide their phones. Those currently receiving treatment sustained injuries from the fall,” she explained.

She added that affected students were taken to the hospital for medical examination, including X-rays and scans, to ascertain the extent of their injuries.

“About nine students are receiving medical attention. We want to be sure there are no complications involving their spinal cords or waists before they are discharged,” she said.

The provost dismissed reports suggesting that students were missing after the attack, insisting that all students had been accounted for.

She, however, said there were suspicions that the attackers may have received information from insiders, following claims by some victims that the hoodlums repeatedly demanded to know the whereabouts of a particular individual.

“That is one of the issues the police are investigating. It is their responsibility to determine whether anyone was involved in aiding the attackers,” she stated.

On security arrangements in the hostel, Usulor explained that male security personnel were stationed outside the hostel premises, as no female security officer was available to stay within the facility.

She noted that the security personnel on duty on the night of the robbery were already being questioned by the police as part of ongoing investigations.

To prevent a recurrence, the provost said the college management had met with security stakeholders in Ohaukwu LGA and agreed on enhanced security measures.

She said police officers, local vigilantes and Homeland Security would henceforth provide round-the-clock security coverage for the institution.

According to her, the involvement of local security operatives would help identify suspicious persons, especially as reports indicated that the attackers communicated in the Ngbo dialect.

Also speaking, the president of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Comrade Ernest Chukwudi Nwobasi, confirmed that armed robbers attacked the female hostel, dispossessing students of phones, money and ATM cards.

Nwobasi said nine students were hospitalised after sustaining injuries while attempting to escape from the attackers. He appealed to the Ebonyi State government to strengthen security around the institution and address infrastructure challenges affecting the college.

The student leader called for improved security deployment, completion of the institution’s perimeter fence and support for accreditation needs, which he said were affecting the academic development of the school. He expressed optimism that government’s intervention would help safeguard students and prevent future security breaches on campus.

Police authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the incident at the time of filing this report.

Oge Ogbonna Tobias, Special Assistant to Governor Francis Nwifuru on Internal Security in Ohaukwu LG, dismissed reports on social media that the bandits carried out the attack.

“The unfortunate incident that occurred at the College of Health Science, Ngbo, was an armed robbery attack targeted at the female hostel of the college, during which some students sustained injuries while attempting to escape from the attackers.

“Security agencies and the internal security team have since launched immediate investigations, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators and all persons connected directly or indirectly to the criminal act.

“We, therefore, strongly advise individuals and groups disseminating false information about a purported bandit invasion to immediately desist from such acts. The spread of unverified and sensational reports undermines ongoing investigations, causes avoidable public anxiety, and does not serve the collective interest of the institution or the state. Be assured that security agencies are actively pursuing credible leads, and anyone found to have participated in the robbery incident, aided the criminals, or obstructed investigations in any manner will be arrested and made to face the full weight of the law,” he said..