Students from the Delta State College of Health Sciences and Technology, Ofuoma, in Ughelli North local Government Area of Delta State, have sent a Save our Soul message to the state Governor and Commissioner of Police to rescue them from incessant threat, intimidation and molestation from the Ofuoma community local vigilantes.
The students, are accusing the local vigilantes of alleged intimidation and molestation over payment of security levy imposed on them.
It was gathered that, two students, male and female of the institution were allegedly brutalized and molested by the community local vigilantes headed by Mr Richard Edenaughe recently.
A female student who gave her name as Eloho said, “When the vigilantes came to our hostel to collect levy, we told them that we don’t have money as at when they came, and one of them carried a gym stand in the place to hit me and other student.
It took the timely intervention of other students in the hostel, we would have been wounded and the worst part is that, despite all the collection, crime is on the increase on daily basis.
“They are just collecting money without doing anything to safe guard the people in the community and if you could not pay, they will double the amount for you.
“We are students who don’t have money and they should not be forcing us to be paying a thousand naira months as vigilante levy and if one could not pay, it will amount to two thousand while in Ughelli urban the annual vigilante levy is N3,000.”
“On a particular day, it took the intervention of our caretaker for us to attend classes, they do harass and arrest us to their office located at the community roundabout and of you could not bail yourself, such student would be made to lie down and be flogged mercilessly.” She narrated.
Another student who gave his name as Shedrack said, “The fear of Ofuoma vigilante beating, Intimidation and molestation is making some students not to open their doors to either go out or school again.
“They will come with some of the drunk, and will be brandishing their guns to threaten the hell out of us, we are students here and nothing more and despite their presence in the community, our lives are not safe, they will come, beat us, and molest and do all sort of things in the name of vigilante.
“We are calling on the school authority, Delta State commissioner of Police, president general of Ughelli Kingdom to urgently rescue us from the threat of Ofuoma community vigilante.
When contacted, the Vigilante chairman, Richard Edenaughe said, “I can not reply the terse message you sent to me because it make no point to me, you sent it as a question, the person you are talking to, you don’t know him from the other side.
“As you see, I am on Keke and of you like, you can call me again in the next one hour time to talk about that.”He stated.
As on Monday, November, 27, 2023, Vigilante members stormed a hostel and extorted a student the sum of N8,000 for owing four month levy and the cash was transferred to Oghwotor Jite Favour First Bank,with Account number-3070400813 at about 08.21:02am And the receipt of N4,000 was issued.
Another student who paid N6,000 was receipted for N3,000.
I am a victim of this too, I ran away from my Hostel for days and when ever they come I have to stay calm in door and shoot my door and I am a witness of Shedrack molestation too, and I have to pay 14,000 to the said jite too, we ain’t safe
I thought about running away from my hostel for weeks before, we ain’t say at all, despite the payment of the levy churches instrument are be stolen, transformer cables are be stolen too
No body is ever safe
#safeoursoul #sos