Robbers invade hostels, raped students.

                                      Robbers invade hostels, raped students.

Last Sunday was a day residents of Kike Afiki Hostel in Orire Street, Adebayo area of Ado-Ekiti, never prayed to witness. It was a day armed robbers invaded the one-storey building. CAMPUSLIFE learnt that the unwanted visitors came calling at about 3am.

The victims, all students of the University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD), said robbers had been terrorising the area despite the fact that the hostel is adjacent to the Civil Defence Corps office. In tears as they recounted their ordeal, saying the robbers were five.

"They went from room to room robbing students of handsets, jewellery money and other valuables," one said.

One of the eye-witnesses, who did not want her name mentioned, narrated thus: "It was about 3am when we discovered that some guys were outside; my room is upstairs. They robbed most of the rooms downstairs; they cut the mosquito net to gain access. This is the third time we are experiencing such a thing".

Another student, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said: "Security is not tight here; there is no security here at all despite the presence of the Civil Defence Corps".

Campus life learnt that at times when they (the robbers) could no longer have their way at night, they resorted to early morning operations where they caught their unsuspecting prey unawares.

Meanwhile, the Afike residents would count themselves lucky compared to their counterparts at the St. Benigulus Hostel Ifite, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka. Three girls were raped while a male student who attempted to challenge the four-man gang was beaten to a coma; these in addition to the loss of valuables and money.

According to Didi Ogoriba, a source who witnessed the incident, residents of the St. Benigulus hostel had raised the alarm that morning when they heard sporadic shooting in the air. Then the bandits, masked and armed, broke in and going from room to room, ordered everyone to lie face down.

As if this was not enough, they ordered three girls to "pull off" after which they forcefully had sex with them. All attempts to reach the victims at the time of this report proved abortive as they were at the hospital receiving medical attention.