Student gang-raped, two stabbed, others robbed in Abia State University

Six years after a gang rape incident at the Abia State University Uturu (ABSU) went viral, sparking nationwide outrage, the university was again thrown into chaos when a robbery and rape incident occurred around 1a.m. on July 20 in a female hostel (Hostel F) located inside the school premises.

According to some of the victims who shared their stories with The Guardian, a group of boys entered the hostel through the toilet window, removing the window and its burglary proof.

“They came straight to our room, in Room 6, covering their faces with wrappers, collected our phones, laptops, ATM cards and pins, before marching us to the kitchen. They asked one of our roommates to take them to other rooms, but when she refused, she was raped and stabbed.

“They took another girl who they also stabbed to Room 24 to knock on their door. The security personnel on duty in the hostel were not around. The hostel mates were alerted around 4a.m. after the robbers had escaped through the same route they came in,” she narrated.

Another victim said: “The robbers came with a POS machine, as they slot in our debits cards and punched in our pins, we started receiving debit alerts.”

It was gathered form sources that the girl who was brutally raped, a 300-level student of Mass Communication Department, was deflowered by the invaders that night.

On his arrival at the scene of the incident, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Udo Nwokocha, said investigations would commence immediately and that the authorities have decided to refund to the victims all their stolen property.

He added that adequate measures would be taken on the security personnel assigned to the hostel where the incident took place if found that there was negligence of duty on their part, and urged the students to be calm as they go about their normal duties.

The Chief Security Officer of the university, Mr. Agwu and his team were also at the scene. He noted that some doors to the rooms in the hostel were faulty and that was why the robbers gained easy access into the rooms but gave no information on the security personnel on duty that night.

Amarachi, a 200-level student said: “We are being forced to pay for hostel accommodations by the school authorities whether we want to stay in the school or not. Now they brought us here and left us with no security. No matter the stolen property they return to the victims, they cannot return the virginity of the girl who was raped nor erase the scar of memory, which the incident has caused her.”