Robbers rape, pour chemical on final year UNIMAID student

A final year student of the Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, University of Maiduguri, identified as Fatimah Abu, has been robbed, raped and bathed with chemical.

Miss Abu is currently at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Gwange, after the attack by suspected robbers.

According to Punch, the 24-year-old had boarded a tricycle at her school’s park on Friday en route her residence when she was abducted by the men.

The robbers allegedly took turns to rape her in a bush and poured chemicals on her body.

The chemicals reportedly caused blisters and burns on different parts of her skin.

The newspaper reports that the victim’s purse, containing her phone and some money, was taken away by the suspects.

The victim, upon regaining consciousness, reportedly flagged down a tricycle rider, who took her to the Dandal Police Station.

The police then rushed her to the state specialist hospital, Maiduguri.

Sister to the Biu, Borno State indigene, Zara said her sister was an easy-going person, wondering who must have attacked her.

Zara said, “She is my younger sister and I have been sleeping at the hospital since she was admitted.

“She cannot talk much because the acid affected her mouth as well. She does not know those people (responsible for the attack).

“She is innocent. She does not quarrel with anybody. Even her classmates testified to it.”

Zara urged the police to identify, arrest and punish the culprits.

The UNIMAID Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Ahmed, said he was aware of the incident, adding that he could not comment because the incident happened outside the school.

He said, “I am aware because I saw it on the television and the state Commissioner of Police commented on it.

“When something happens outside the university, I cannot comment.

“I just arrived from a journey and if I will say anything, I will need to get back to the school to make more findings.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu, told the newspaper that acid was not poured on the victim, saying the police were on the trail of the suspects.

He said, “On the day of the incident, she said she went to a bank for a transaction and after she was done, she came out and boarded a tricycle. She said there were two other passengers in the tricycle and she sat in their midst.

“She said along the way, one of them came down, remaining her and another passenger. She said suddenly, the passenger brought out an handkerchief which he started waiving. She said she suddenly lost consciousness.

“According to her, she was sexually assaulted. She found herself around a railway line and she managed to get a Keke Napep which took her to the Dandal Police Station. There was no physical pouring of acid.

“It was the handkerchief which probably contained some chemicals that affected her skin and later degenerated into blisters.

“The blisters then turned to burns. With this information, we have spread our dragnets and we are on the trail of the suspects.”