Bandits suspected to be Fulani herdsmen on Thursday invaded Eke in Udi local government area of Enugu state, killing a female student of St Paul’s College and injuring three other students.
According to eyewitnesses other students equally hit by bullets are battling for survival in an undisclosed hospital.
“Fulani herdsmen attacked our students, they were going home after school; one of them was shot dead; four students were shot, one died instantly; they have done enough.
“See the corpse of the little student they have murdered; this one is unconscious, (pointing at another victim) we are praying that God will sustain her; she sustained four bullet wounds.
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“This was done by the Fulanis operating at Eke-Egede Road; these are the ones that survived; the government should come to our rescue. Our place is now a death zone.”
Principal of the Catholic Church-owned school, Rev. Fr. Frank confirmed the attack.
“It is true; we dismissed by 3:30 pm yesterday, as the students were going home, the bus they were in was attacked by gunmen; some of them received bullet wounds, of which one later died in the hospital;
“That was between 4:30-5 pm; the gunmen just opened fire on them. We feel so saddened to lose such a promising young girl in this circumstance.”
A community leader, who spoke under anonymity, said many victims of kidnap in Udi and Ezeagu areas are kept within the same location until ransom is paid.
He said those who could not meet up with the ransom demand were usually killed after a few days.
He said the forest spanning about 15 kilometres, called ‘Ofia-akwu’, had remained a death zone, with several lives lost in the past in the hands of the Fulani herdsmen who were into kidnapping.