No fewer than nine female students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, have been reportedly raped by armed robbers.
The incident occurred when the robbers who were estimated to be about 20 had invaded their hostel in the early hours of Friday.
The armed robbers stormed Ifite road, Awka, where the hostels were located shooting indiscriminately and robbing from room to room.
A student of the university, who pleaded anonymity, told reporters that the robbers were heavily armed with guns, axes and matchets.
She said: “We were at the hostel when we had gunshots that lasted for about ten minutes and we ran for our lives because they had not gotten to our own hostel; we hid 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.”
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.
Four days before the incident, students were attacked at bars and restaurants in the area.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer DSP Tochukwu Ikenga who confirmed the incident, “Our men on getting wind of the information got to Ifite Awka and was able to battle the criminals.”
But he did not disclose how many people that were arrested as, according to him, making it public would interrupt investigations.
