Gunmen kill final year student in Ebonyi

Gunmen numbering about four on Sunday shot dead a final student of Business Education in Ebonyi state University (EBSU), Abakaliki, Chinedu Linus, and robbed him of his money, laptop, handsets and other valuable items.

The hoodlums also robbed all the students and other tenants in the hostel of the deceased who hailed from Ishiagu, Ivo local government area of Ebonyi state.

The gunmen had invaded the decease’ hostel, Lucky City Hostel, in Ishieke campus of the University at about 1:30 am and killed him before robbing him and his neighbours.

They gained entry into the hostel located in a secluded area through a ladder which they used to climb through. The Lucky City hostel and others in the area are very busy and impassible.

An eyewitness and 200 level student of Political Science in the University, Eric John, said they were sleeping in the midnight when they heard someone knocking at the gate and Chindu Linus who is the
President of the hostel came out with a rod to know who was knocking.

“We were all sleeping at about 1:30am when we heard someone knocking at the gate and our presido, Chinedu Linus, went out to know who was actually knocking. The hoodlums used ladder and climbed inside the compound.

“He was with a rod when he went out to defend himself. When he went out, they were asking him where the money is. ‘Where is the money? Where is the money?’ The next I heard was when they pushed him out and shot him. They collected his laptop and money, came to my own house and collected my N15,000 and two phones.

“Before this incident happened, they had come to our neighbours in the other building and robbed everybody there. They also made away with our electricity bill money which we collected from students.
They collected the phones of the guy that was holding the electricity bill money”, he said.

Another eyewitness, Ina Gbiria, who is living close to the entrance gate of the hostel with her policeman husband and children said she heard the footstep of someone and she went out to know who was entering the compound at the late hour as it was 1:00am.

“I went out and saw someone who entered our compound, another person followed him. I asked them who they were and they threatened to shot me and showed me guns. I panicked when I saw their guns and my husband was not around, he was on night duty somewhere.

“Before I could notice it, they pushed me and I fell down. I wanted to shout but they said if I do it, they will shoot me and I begged them that I will not shout. I lied down on the ground immediately. They entered my children’s room and I begged them not to touch the children in the room because they are my children.

“They left and went to my neighbours room. They collected his money and two phones. They kept breaking all the doors in our compound and I later heard gunshot when they approached the exit gate side of the compound where our Presido, Chinedu Linus, was living.

“I thought they shot the guns to scare people away not knowing that it was our presido that they shot dead. When they left, we came out and saw him laying lifeless in a pool of blood”, she said.

While addressing the students, Special Adviser to Governor Dave Umahi on Student Affairs, Onwe Gideon, expressed sadness on the incident.

He said the government has urged security agents to include the Lucky City hostel as one of security flashpoints which should be patrolled by them every 24 hours.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Loveth Odah confirmed the incident.

Charles Onyekwere, Abakaliki