The Provost of the Ebonyi College of Health Science and Technology, Ngbo, in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Princess Chetachi Usulor, has confirmed that no student is missing following an attack by suspected hoodlums on the institution’s female hostel.
The provost cleared the air that during the attack, only nine students was injured.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at the college premises, Usulor said the attackers invaded the hostel in the early hours of June 8, carting away phones, cash, ATM cards and other valuables from students.
She explained that the incident occurred at about 1:20 a.m 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 relevant authorities, who responded to the distress call.
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“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 injuries sustained 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 hospital for medical examinations, 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 as a female were among them showing them the rooms to be robbed, 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 incident 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 Local Government Area and agreed on enhanced security measures.
She said police officers, local vigilantes and homeland security personnel 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), Ernest 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 specifically called for improved security deployment, completion of the institution’s perimeter fencing and support for accreditation needs, which he said were affecting the academic development of the school.
