A student of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, has reportedly sustained injury during an attack by suspected herdsmen.
Reports said that the victim, who is undergoing Joint University Preliminary Examination Board (JUPEB) programme, was on his way to a night class with his sister when they were attacked.
He reportedly lost some fingers while trying to defend himself from the hoodlums and was quickly rushed to the hospital.
The victim’s mother, in her post via WhatsApp, said: “My son’s 3 fingers cut off, twin sister wounded.”
A source at the University confirmed the incident, but said only one person sustained injury, contrary to the social media report.
The source added that the incident happened around 9 pm outside the axis where students were concentrated, along the Ifite road.
The source said: “The young man said the people who attacked him were speaking what he believed was Hausa language.
“Being a new student, he’s naive not to have known that moving through a lonely path, particularly at night, can be dangerous.
“Actually, he was walking through that path with his sister, innocently.
“As soon as they saw the attackers, they started running. But the boy was not lucky enough to outrun them.
“It was alarm from the sister that draw attention of those who rescued him and took him to the hospital before the security team were alerted.”
The source assured that an investigation had already commenced, adding that security has been tightened to ensure there was no repeat of such incident.
Reports further said that officials of the institution have visited the victims at the hospital.
According to the source, the officials included Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Kingsley Ubaoji, CSO, Mr. Ken Chukwura, Director of JUPEB, Prof. C. Akunne, Sub-Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Anthony Apiti, and a representative of the PRO’s office, Mr. Bonny Nkwuaku.
The university is yet to issue official statement on the incident, while the Police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, is also yet to react the incident.