Rapists invade Methodist Girls Model Secondary School Ovim Isuikwuato, Abia State , 15 wounded as Hon Nkiruka Onyejiocha demands arrest

www.odogwublog.com reports that no fewer than 15 female students of Methodist Girls Model Secondary School Ovim Isuikwuato, Abia State were wounded  when suspected rapists invaded their dormitory on the wee hours of Friday.

The incident according to the victims occurred  around 2 am on Friday, May 25.

Narrating her ordeal yesterday when the member representing Isuikwuato- Umunneochi federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejiocha visited the 87-year old missions school, Chidinma Nwadubem, an SS11 student said they were sleeping when suddenly one of the hoodlums broke into the dormitory and attempted to rape them.

She said the suspected rapist who was masked was moving from bed to bed "flashing his torch light" on the students and ordering them to wake.

The 15- year old  traumatized student who is yet to recover from the shock of the ugly incident said 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.

She said 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 the students did not succumb despite threats and physical assault by the suspect.

Her words: " 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 heating 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 unwillingness of the students to succumb to his threats, 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."

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.

Confirming the incident, the Principal of the school, Mrs. Oluchi Ibenye, said the hoodlums probably gained access into the school premises through the back fence.

She said the suspect who finally gained entry into the dormitory which  has a separate fence scaled through the fence.

The principal who said the incident was the first of its kind since the history of the school said the matter had been reported to the police for investigations and arrest of the suspect(s).

She, therefore, appealed to 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 rage 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 strange 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 louvers 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 security challenges in the country as schools have become soft 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 government must ensure protection of all Nigerians against terror.

She decried the activities of herdsmen in parts of the country lamenting that many communities in the constituency now complain of wanton destruction of their crops and farm lands by cows.

The lawmaker restated the need for federal government to prevail on cattle rearers to embrace ranching which is a global standard practice instead of open grazing or cow colony which is not only obsolete but provocative and counter productive.

Our correspondent reports that some belongings of the students littered the dormitory during  the visit although the students were said to have commenced their  mid-term break on Friday shortly after the incident. 

When contacted however, the Police Public Relations in the state, Mr. Geoffrey Ogbonna, said he was yet to get the report of the matter.

Photo: L-R: Member representing Isuikwuato- Umunneochi federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejiocha with one of the students of Methodists Girls School Ovim Isuikwuato , Chidinma Chidubem, who sustained injury when suspected rapists invaded their dormitory on Friday. Principal, Mrs. Oluchi Ibenye (right) looked on.