Unknown gunmen reportedly stormed the Federal Radio Cooperation of Nigeria, FRCN, Training School, Lagos State, Friday, raping and robbing many of the female trainee journalists. It was gathered that it was the third time the armed men would be attacking the school.
According to an insider, “The armed robbers were many. They attacked the school last week, last two weeks and now this week. They always defile the girls and dispossess others, including male students and workers on night duties of their valuables.”
The three attacks on the school have left many of the workers shocked, especially as policemen were supposed to be manning the school gate. The last attack occurred at about 2am, with the gunmen targeting the financial records offices.
Three of the gunmen wore masks and focused on the new BOND FM station, which has a lot of new expensive transmitting devices.
“Many of them broke into our offices, remove burglar-proofs, defiled girls who were in training and living in our hostel. They collected money, phones and laptops. This is the third time this will be happening,” said a staff.
According to another insider, the school has male and female trainees drawn from across different radio stations in the country who are on special courses.
There are also private students studying broadcast journalism. The insider added: “The gunmen are usually many whenever they attack. The first time they came, they appeared to be searching for something as they ransacked all offices.
This time, they came with three or four men wearing masks. They were apparently the people who wanted something from the school or offices.
When they came this time, they were the ones doing the frantic searching. Whether they succeeded in getting what they wanted this time around is what we don’t know.” Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, however said only a case of burglary was reported. “I just got to hear today that the place has been burgled three times. But they had never reported. It’s only today that an official complaint was lodged.
No case of defile was reported. Nobody has come forward to say that she was defiled,” she said.