Armed robbers allegedly invaded Rivers State University hostels on Thursday mor
ning, carted away students’ valuables and assaulted two female students sexually.
On Thursday morning armed robbers allegedly some hostels in the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt carted away student’s valuables and assaulted two female students sexually.
It was gathered that hostels ‘D” and ‘C” near the school back gate where many of the female students are accommodated were raided at about 1:45 am.
According to a student in the school, the armed robbers operated for 45 minutes.
It was learnt that robbers who were armed with guns and machetes, reportedly stormed the hostels before resorting to sexually harassing at least two of their female victims.
The development had caused an uproar as female students took to protest within the campus, decrying repeated criminal attacks in their hostels.
Some of the students who spoke on condition of anonymity said they have been repeatedly harassed by criminals, adding that the state university has not been proactive in tackling the insecurity.
One among the protesters said, “The boys come into the hostel from the backside where our laundering room is. They fingered some girls, raped some and took many phones and laptops. After all these the school security is telling us to wait, wait for what? If we are their daughters will they allow this to happen to them?”
Another protester claimed that individuals are allowed access into the school late at night if they could pay an N1000 bribe to the security personnel mounting the gates, adding that the school security is complicit in the incident.
She said: “There is no way you will say these criminals came from inside the school they came from the outside. If you are coming from outside that late, you have to bribe the school security N1000. They will take 1000, then they will allow you inside the school.
“If they broke through the school that means the school security is involved. There were gunshots, there is no way the school security will claim they did not hear and the Mile 3 police is just here but they did not do anything.”
However, police personnel led by the Chief Security Officer of the university, Chief Chukuwma Ebere, had arrived at the scene to plead with the protesting students with the assurance that they would address the issues.
Confirming the development, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, quickly said normalcy has been restored in the institution.
Iringe-Koko said: “The Rivers State Police Command, having received a report of an armed robbery attack at the Rivers State University female hostel, the CP directed the DC Operations, Area Commander, Port Harcourt, and the DPO Nkpolu to provide adequate security on the campus.
“The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Nwonyi Polycarp Emeka, has called for vigilance and urged students, parents, and the school management to take advantage of the Police Control Room numbers for reporting suspicious activities.”
On the allegation of Rape, Iringe-Koko said, “It is not true. They only stole their phones.”
