At least 15 students of the Methodist Girls Model Secondary School Ovim Isuikwuato, Abia State were early Friday morning wounded when suspected rapists invaded their dormitory ordering them to strip.
The incident, according to the victims, occurred around 2am on Friday, May 25 when one of the rapists gained entry into the girls’ dormitory brandishing iron rod and commanding the girls to cooperate with him or be killed.
The incident became known yesterday when one of the victims, Miss Chidinma Nwadubem, relieved her ordeal to the member representing Isuikwuato- Umunneochi federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejiocha, who visited the 87-year-old mission school.
Chidinma, an SS11 student, said that they were sleeping when suddenly one of the hoodlums broke into the dormitory and attempted to rape them.
She explained that the suspected rapist who was masked was moving from bed to bed “flashing his torchlight” on the students and ordering them to wake.
The 15-year-old traumatized student, who was yet to recover from the shock of the ugly incident, said that the suspect told the students that they (criminals) had killed all the security guards on duty at the school gate and that the entire dormitory had already been surrounded by his colleagues, adding that they had no option than to cooperate.
She further said that the suspect ordered them to “simply cooperate” with them as any who dared them would just be killed like one of the guards.
Chidinma, however, said that the students did not succumb despite threats and physical assault by the suspect.
“When he broke into the dormitory he ordered us to separate ourselves between virgins and non-virgins. He now ordered us to undress but when we resisted him he started hitting us with the iron rod in his hand.
“We said we cannot undress for him even if he likes let him kill us. It was at that point that all of us started shouting on top of our voices and crying for help.
“Apparently angered by the uncooperative attitude of the students and the high probability of his arrest following the alarm raised by the students, the hoodlum “then started breaking our heads with the rod before escaping through the fence,” she said.
Chidinma who still had a plaster on her head following an injury she sustained said the wounded students were later taken to the hospital where they were treated.
The school Principal, Mrs Oluchi Ibenye, who confirmed the incident said that the hoodlums probably gained access to the school premises through the back fence.
She also said that the suspect who finally gained entry into the dormitory which has a separate fence must have scaled the fence.
The principal, who said that the incident was the first of its kind since the history of the school, added that the matter had been reported to the police for investigations and arrest of the suspect(s).
She, therefore, appealed to the government to assist the school in reinforcing its perimeter fence and fortifying security around the school.
Commenting, Hon. Onyejiocha, who is an alumnus of the school, expressed shock over the ugly incident and called on the Inspector General of Police to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of the suspect(s).
She described the incident as “terrorism against the girl child” which she said must be resisted.
The lawmaker, who promised to undertake the fortification of the perimeter fence of the school dormitory and renovate the shattered louvres and broken doors, vowed to use every arsenal at her disposal to ensure the culprits don’t escape justice.
She also tasked the federal government to direct the security agencies to beef up security around schools to contain the rising insecurity in the country as schools have become a target for terrorists.
On the speculation that the suspects might be herdsmen who have turned the surrounding farmlands around the isolated school into grazing field, the lawmaker said that the government must ensure the protection of all Nigerians against terror.
Some of the personal effects of the students still littered the scene at the time of the visit.
When contacted, however, the Police Public Relations in the state, Mr Geoffrey Ogbonna, said that he was yet to get the report of the matter.
