Gunmen Storm Ondo Health Centre, Abduct Six Staff Members

​Panic gripped residents of the Oke Ijebu area of Akure, the Ondo State capital, in the early hours of Saturday as gunmen invaded a health centre and abducted no fewer than six health workers.

​Gistlife gathered that the hoodlums, who arrived at the facility around 2:00 a.m. in a bus, forced their way into the premises situated opposite the Mega School.

​It was learnt that the assailants rounded up the staff members on duty, including interns, and bundled them into their waiting vehicle before speeding off to an unknown destination.

​A source in the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the operation lasted several minutes, leaving patients at the facility traumatized.

​”The gunmen came in the dead of night when everywhere was quiet. They targeted the workers specifically. They didn’t touch the patients, but the people receiving treatment were terrified. It was like a movie scene,” the source said.

​The incident has sparked fresh concerns among residents over the rising wave of insecurity in the state capital. Many have called on the state government and security agencies to step up patrols around public utilities and medical facilities.

​When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.

​Also, the Commander of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, was yet to issue an official statement on the development.

​The abduction comes on the heels of several calls by stakeholders for the Federal Government to allow the state’s security outfit to bear sophisticated arms to tackle the growing menace of kidnapping and banditry in the region.