No fewer than 10 students of the College of Health Sciences, Ngbo, in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have sustained injuries following an attack by armed men who invaded a student hostel in the early hours of Tuesday.
The assailants reportedly stormed the hostel at about 2 a.m., attacking students and carting away valuables, including mobile phones, laptops, power banks and other personal belongings.
Some of the victims suffered gunshot wounds, while others sustained machete injuries during the incident.
The injured students are currently receiving treatment at both a government-owned hospital and a private medical facility within the local government area.
Confirming the attack on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Ebonyi State Police Command, SP Joshua Ukandu, said operatives had commenced an investigation and were tracking the suspects.
According to him, police received a distress call after the incident, but the attackers had already fled before officers arrived at the scene.
He explained that preliminary findings indicated that the attackers targeted students’ property and assaulted several occupants before escaping.
Ukandu noted that the institution’s security challenges may have contributed to the incident, describing the school environment as vulnerable due to the absence of perimeter fencing and inadequate security measures.
“The attackers made away with phones, laptops, power banks and other valuables belonging to the students.
Investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being intensified to apprehend those responsible,” he said.
Meanwhile, some students who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed fear over their safety, revealing that many residents of the hostel had begun relocating following the attack.
The students said the incident had created panic within the school community, with several occupants abandoning the hostel over concerns of possible future attacks.
They also disclosed that while some injured colleagues were being treated at the General Hospital in the area, others were receiving care at a private hospital.
The police said efforts were ongoing to uncover the motive behind the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.