Armed robbers attack female hostel in University of Ibadan

No fewer than five students were injured when some gun-wielding thieves attack the Obafemi Awolowo Hall of residence at the University of Ibadan (UI) in the early hours of Friday.

The hoodlums, numbering 10, stormed the hall around 1am and operated unchallenged for almost two hours, stealing any gadget in sight, including phones and laptops, were carted away.

Herald Nigeria learnt that the hall porters had done some inspection in the rooms by 11pm, and the students had confused the attackers for the porters.

“Around 1:30 to 2:10am, they invaded A and C blocks, the ground floor and the first floor and they were banging the doors and using their legs to push the doors open. Those that were not cooperating with them, they were beaten and they were injured,” one of the students told The Cable.

“I was shocked and immediately felt the urge to urinate and ran to the toilet.”

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Narrating the incident, a campus journalist said, “porters went to the female rooms around 11pm finding the number of people in each room. I think they were trying to add more people to each room. So shortly before 1am, robbers came and those ladies thought it was actually the porters that came back again and opened the doors freely but the attackers pointed guns at them,” he said.

“Those ones that were sluggish, you know some of them were sleeping, some were scared, were beaten and physically harassed and tortured. There was no report of rape. I think about five people were physically assaulted.

“One particular lady was taken as hostage and dragged from one block to another. When she was found, they discovered that she had bruises all over. She was taken to the university clinic.

“They said they tried to get in contact with Abefele, the security unit, but the robbers had gone by the time the security team got there. The students in Awo hall are currently protesting.”

K.O Adebowale, deputy vice chancellor (administration), was said to have visited the affected hostel around 4am.