The public health centre at Irona Quarters in Ado Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State was thrown into confusion in the early hours of Saturday when five unidentified men stormed the place, beat up health workers on duty as they demanded the whereabouts of a newborn in the facility.
A senior health official at the facility told newsmen in Ado Ekiti, on Sunday, that the five men had besieged the health facility at about 12:30a.m, beat up officials on duty and demanded the whereabouts of a baby delivered earlier in the day.
The source, who said the medical personnel, who were later hospitalised for various degrees of injuries sustained as a result of the beatings, tried to convince them that all the babies that were delivered in the centre in the last one week had been discharged, but the pleas fell on deaf ears.
One of them was said to have sustained a leg injury while running away and is now receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital, while others were said to have been treated and discharged on Saturday.
The source said: “These people came in the night and asked that a baby that was delivered on Friday should be handed over to them.
“But the medical personnel on duty told them that the baby that was delivered had been discharged. This angered them and they started beating them up, just as they ransacked the entire rooms in the health centre before they left.”
The workers were said to have cried for help after the marauders had left and that neighbours responded and took the injured to the hospital.
Caretaker Chairman of Ado Ekiti Council, Mr. Tope Olanipekun, confirmed the attack after he visited the centre and was said to have expressed shock at the incident, describing it as “the highest point of callousness on the part of the perpetrators of the nefarious act.”
Olanipekun said on the telephone that “the incident actually happened and we are taking step to forestall further occurrence,” adding that “the doctor in charge had reported the case at the police station at Okesa and we are planning to fence all the health centres and beef up security.”
The chairman also explained that he had instructed that night duty be suspended at the centre pending the time adequate security measures would be put in place, saying “we have also advised that all expectant pregnant women in labour should be referred to Okeyinmi health centre.”
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Victor Babayemi, said the incident had not been reported at the state police headquarters.
Source: Tribune
