Suspected kidnappers have abducted no fewer than six health workers during a midnight raid on a health centre in the Oke Ijebu area of Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The gunmen, who reportedly stormed the facility at about 2:00 a.m. in a bus, forcefully gained entry into the premises located opposite Mega School and rounded up all staff on duty.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that the assailants dragged the victims, who were said to include interns, into the waiting vehicle and sped off to an unknown destination.
Patients receiving treatment at the time of the attack were left behind unharmed.
A patient on admission at the health facility, who narrowly escaped, said the gunmen operated with precision and speed, leaving little room for resistance.
He said the kidnappers were heavily armed and invaded the health centre around 2:00 a.m. and forcefully gained entry into the premises.
According to the patient, “They came in a big bus and entered the hospital forcefully. Before anyone could react, they gathered all the staff on duty and marched them outside. They took about six of them away.
“The abductors sped off to an unknown destination, throwing the community into confusion and distress, and the incident was reported at the police station”
A source, however, disclosed that the victims were forced to transfer money from their accounts to their captors after they took them into the bush, where they were later released.
The source explained that “Three of the victims were released after they were forced to transfer money to the kidnapper’s account. The three released victims later called the local government council chairman, who immediately informed the state security outfit codenamed Amotekun commander, Chief Adetunji Adeleye.
However, there are different versions of how the kidnapped health workers were rescued. While the state police command insisted it was a robbery attack, not abduction, the state security outfit, Amotekun, said it rescued three of the abducted nurses during a midnight operation.
The state Commander of Amotekun, Adeleye, explained that apart from the abducted health workers rescued by his men, two other kidnapped victims, a father and his son, were also rescued by the security agency.
Adeleye said that three of the six health workers and two other victims have been rescued from two separate overnight operations in Akure metropolis by men of the Amotekun corps.
He disclosed that a 45-year-old man and his 15-year-old son were abducted at Pelebe on the outskirts of Oda Akure road between 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
According to him, the victims were, however, rescued by the Rapid Response squad of Amotekun core about 1:00 a.m after a heavy confrontation with the Kidnappers.
On the abduction of the state government health workers, Adeleye said that “three health workers earlier abducted have also regained their freedom at about 4:30 am and are currently receiving treatment at the Amotekun health facility in the state capital.
But the state police command insisted that the incident at the state government health facility was a robbery incident and not a case of abduction.
Speaking through its spokesperson, Jimoh Abayomi, in a statement, the state police command said the “incident that occurred in the early hours of today at a Health Centre located in Oke Ijebu was a robbery incident.
According to him, “at about 2:00 a.m., three suspects allegedly armed with a pump-action rifle and cutlasses, reportedly invaded the facility. The assailants gained access to the premises by scaling the perimeter fence.
“During the incident, three persons who were on duty at the health facility were forcefully dispossessed of their personal belongings, including mobile phones and a POS terminal.
“The suspects reportedly arrived in an unregistered black Toyota Venza vehicle, which was parked along the main road before carrying out the operation.
Abayomi said that “The victims were subsequently whisked away towards the Olokuta axis along Ondo Road. Preliminary investigation reveals that the suspects ordered them to remove their clothing and subsequently abandoned them in the bush before fleeing the scene. The victims, however, found a resort from nearby staff of the Correctional Service.
He said, “The attackers reportedly dispossessed the victims of personal belongings, including mobile phones and a POS terminal, before taking them away in an unregistered black Toyota Venza towards the Olokuta axis”
He said that the state police Commissioner Adebowale Lawal “has visited the scene of the incident and has directed a comprehensive and intelligence-driven investigation into the matter.
“Tactical and surveillance teams have been deployed to track down the perpetrators and ensure they are brought to justice.
“The Command condemns this act of criminality in strong terms and wishes to reassure residents that adequate security measures have been put in place to prevent a recurrence.
“Patrols have been intensified, and collaboration with other security agencies and local vigilante groups has been strengthened to enhance safety across the state.
“Members of the public are urged to remain calm, vigilant, and law-abiding, while promptly reporting any suspicious activities or useful information to the nearest police station or security agency.”