By Onome Oghenetega
Palpable tension on Tuesday gripped staff and students of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, when hoodlums suspected to be cultists stormed the school premises and shot one of the students.
NIGER DELTA TODAY Online learnt that the victim, whose name was yet to be ascertained at the time of filing this report was shot near his waist by his attackers.
The victim was said to be bleeding profusely before he was rushed to hospital by management of the institution for medical attention.
The incident was said to have occurred at about 12:55pm on Tuesday.
Sources told our correspondent that the incident left staff and students in fears.
It was learnt that doctors at the Asaba hospital where the student was rushed were still battling to save his life.
A female friend of the victim who was said to have collapsed as a result of the shock was said to have been revived.
Although reasons for the attack were still hazy as at the time of filing this report, several sources in the school confirmed that it was cult related attack.
“One of our students was shot some few hours ago at the school premises. We all thought he was dead until the school security and some management staff rushed in to discover that he was still alive. They attackers are cultists and they shot sporadically to scare everyone.
“The victim and his female friend who collapsed during the attack have been rushed to hospital in Asaba, the state capital. He was shot around his waist. Both staff and students fled for safety”, a staff of the institution to NIGER DELTA TODAY Online.
A former Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Manfred Oyibogbeye, confirmed the shooting of the student.
Oyibogbeye said the student and the collapsed female student had been rushed for medical attention.
When also contacted, the institution’s spokesman, Mr. Billy Onotue, confirmed the incident saying that the victim was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre Asaba where his father discharged him against doctors’ advice.
Onotue also clarified that Oyibogbeye who had earlier confirmed the incident was no longer the institution’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) thus cannot speak for the management of the polytechnic.
