Tension has gripped the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku following gunmen attack on the student hostels in the institution that reportedly left one dead, and others injured.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the management of the school subsequently announced a shutdown of academic activities for one week to enable them put in place security measures to guard against a recurrence.
A female Higher National Diploma student who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, on Monday, said the students had all deserted the school for fear of gunmen attacks.
“Armed men have continued invading our hostels, shooting and raping students. When they first came on Thursday, they shot a male student on the leg while two female students were raped.
“So, students have left their hostels and most of us have been coming from our various homes to attend classes for the past two weeks,” she said.
Another student who did not want his name mentioned said a student was allegedly killed in the Friday shooting.
“One student was shot dead, others were cut with cutlasses. The gunmen not only raped the female students but also shot a male student
“As I speak to you, the male student is bleeding from his anus where he is currently receiving treatment at the hospital.
“The school management has shut down the school and asked everybody to go home for one week break,” he explained
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PUNCH Metro learnt that other victims of the serial attacks lost their handsets and laptops to the gunmen who forced them to transfer money in their personal accounts to them, while also raping some female students and shooting anyone who resisted.
The Rector of the institution, Prof. Emmanuel Achuenu, was said to have announced the closure of the school on Friday for the students’ safety with the expectation that they would resume normal academic activities on Monday, February 26.
In a statement issued by the Students Union Government, all the students in the hostels were instructed to comply with the management’s directive to proceed on a semi-semester break.
The statement signed by the SUG President, Comrade Victor Anthony, Secretary General Onugege Graham, and Public Relations Officer, Blessings Utomi, assured the students 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 in hostels.
However, the state Commissioner of Police, Abaniwonda Olufemi, was said to have, on Sunday, summoned the Area Commander and the Divisional Police Officer in Ogwashi-Uku over the matter, noting that the institution was shut down because of a possible protest by the students.
Olufemi said security had been beefed up in the polytechnic town assuring that the command was on top of the situation.
Our correspondent learnt that the hoodlums scaled the fence of the hostels and unlocked the gate for the rest of the armed robbers after their attempts to break the gate failed.
An eyewitness said the armed robbers came in their numbers, proceeded to tie the two security men in the compound and ordered them not to make noise or they would be shot before they started the operation.
