By Austin Ogwuda

Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, has assured parents of the three students wounded during a shooting spree at a hostel in Enugu that the command was working seriously to fish out the culprits.

He said: “Enugu State command of the Nigeria Police Force has commenced a full scale investigation into the alleged incident of shooting at one of the students lodges, identified as Unique Lodge, at Again in Nan West Local Government Area where three students were touched by bullets, with a view to identifying those behind the dastardly act and bring them to book.

“We wish to further inform members of the public that operatives are working seriously to ensure that those behind the act are fished out and face the music in accordance with the specifications of the law,” adding that the “victims were responding to treatment.”

Three students of the university were said to be fatally wounded, following indiscriminate shooting at their Again Hostel.

Parents of the said wounded students had complained bitterly about the incident and called on the police authorities to act swiftly.

Nothing happened

—VARSITY AUTHORITIES

Meanwhile, authorities of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, yesterday, refuted reports making the rounds that gunmen invaded the university and shot three students.

A statement from the Director of Public Relations of the university, Mr. Ossy Ugwuoti, said at no time was there shooting in any of the hostels in ESUT permanent site.

Mr. Ugwuoti also stated that no hostel in ESUT was named Unique Hostel as reported.

Expressing surprise that the news report could not give the names of the students reported to have been shot, Ugwuoti advised journalists to always cross-check their facts before going to press.

He described the report as malicious and a calculated attempt to tarnish the good reputation that ESUT had built over the years, pointing out that cultism had been extinguished in ESUT.

Police story

However, the PPRO said preliminary investigation had shown that it was an inside job.

He said: “We suspect that they are robbers. Investigation has begun. We gathered that when the gunmen attacked some students at the ESUT Unique Lodge, the students put up a stiff resistance and succeeded in arresting one of the gunmen.

“The arrested gunman alerted his colleagues who returned to the hostel and began shooting indiscriminately, during which three of the students were shot and wounded.

“We have beefed up security and will surely unravel the circumstances.”