No fewer than two people, including a man over 70 years, Elder Francis Ibe, were reportedly shot when a gang of armed robbers invaded Awa, a sleepy rural community in Oguta local government area of Imo State.

Vanguard gathered that about three hapless villagers were stabbed seriously by the robbers and later rushed to an undisclosed hospital where doctors are currently battling to save their lives.

It was also gathered that the robbers not only raped some ladies, including the one that was in the town to visit her sister, but also carted away motorcycles, varying sums of money, telephone handsets, electric generating sets and other personal effects worth millions of Naira.

Narrating their ordeal to Vanguard, one of the female victims (names withheld for security reasons) lamented that the rampaging hoodlums held the area hostage for hours.

"The robbers commenced their nasty operation at about 1am and continued till about 3am. Some families in Umunkoli, Umuorie, Ndionyeagorom, Ndivuelekwa and Umuakparaku were ravaged", the badly traumatized woman said.

According to the woman, a man who came home to bury his sister was equally shot and wounded by the armed robbers, while a cement dealer in the community was stripped of a huge sum of money.

Speaking also, a youth said: "The robbers were from our neighbouring community, Awo Omamma. One of the robbers was identified by one of us and when we went to his family home, he ran away on sighting us".

Efforts made to reach the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Sam Oodee, failed as his mobile telephone could not be accessed at press time.