Survivors recount ordeal as gunmen invade Ondo hospital, abduct health workers

"I told them I was a sweeper, not a nurse, because I didn’t know their mission," she said.

She further revealed that the gunmen proceeded to the quarters of student nurses, dragged them out, and assaulted some who attempted to hide.

"They went straight to where the student nurses were. They collected their phones and beat some of them.

"They then forced us into their vehicle and drove off," Ms Kayode said.

The nurse added that the armed men later drove them down to a bush along Ondo Road, where they were ordered to lie face down.

"When we got to the bush, they pointed guns at us, demanded our bank details and transferred all the money in our accounts. There were three of us, and they took everything. They also seized our phones," she said.

Ms Kayode added that the attackers stripped them naked before fleeing, warning them not to raise their heads.

"Out of fear, we stayed there for about 10 minutes before getting up.

"We eventually found our way to the main road and also walked down to the correctional centre along Olokuta where the prison wards on duty helped us with clothes and helped us to contact the Amotekun, Corps, " she said.

Also speaking, the security gaurd at the hospital, Olawale Yahaya, said the gunmen stormed the hospital facility in a Toyota Venza vehicle and forced their way into the main bowl of the health facility.

Yahaya said: "They came into the compound in a Toyota Venza. I was about challenging them on their mission into the hospital when they rounded me up.

"They asked me what I was doing and I told them I was the security gaurd. They stripped me naked and started beating me.

"They asked me to lie down. They pointed at a vehicle in the compound and asked who owned it. I told them the person was inside.

"They asked me to lead them into the clinic and knock the door. They were three in number.

"Immediately I knocked on the door and it was opened, they forced their way in and dragged everyone into the boot of the vehicle."

According to the guard, the gunmen also destroyed the vehicle parked inside the hospital premises and the brain box.

Confirming the incident, the Ondo State Police Command described it as a robbery incident carried out by armed suspects.

A statement by the command’s spokesperson, Jimoh Abayomi, confirmed that the attack occurred at about 2 a.m. and involving three armed men.

He noted that the assailants, armed with a pump-action rifle and cutlasses, gained access to the facility by scaling the perimeter fence.

He said the suspects used an unregistered black Toyota Venza, which was parked on the main road, before carrying out the operation and fleeing towards the Olokuta axis.

He said: "At about 2:00 a.m., three suspects allegedly armed with pump-action rifle and cutlasses reportedly invaded the facility. The assailants gained access into the premises by scaling the perimeter fence.

"During the incident, three persons who were on duty at the health facility were forcibly 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.

"The victims were subsequently whisked away towards the Olokuta axis along Ondo Road."

According to him, preliminary findings revealed that the victims were forced to undress and later abandoned in a bush before they found help from officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

"The Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, has visited the scene of the incident and has directed a comprehensive and intelligence-driven investigation into the matter," he added.

Mr Abayomi, however, added that tactical teams had also been deployed to track down the perpetrators, while patrols have been intensified across the state.

Meanwhile, nurses in the state have condemned the violent attack on their colleagues at the primary health facility in Akure, threatening to withdraw from night duties if urgent security measures are not implemented

Reacting to the incident in a chat with reporters, the Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Ondo State Council, Comrade Felix Orobode, described the attack as a stark indication of worsening insecurity in the state, especially as it occurred in a central area of Akure.

"For this to happen in Okejebu, the heart of Akure, shows clearly that we are facing serious security challenges,” he said.

"I want to make this clear: we are not going to wait until our members are kidnapped and we begin to raise ransom. If government fails to secure our facilities, nurses will withdraw from night duty across Ondo State," he declared.

Orobode expressed concern over the lack of adequate security personnel at public health facilities, noting that many centres rely on elderly guards without proper training or equipment.

“You can see the security man here-an elderly man, unarmed, without any security training. That is what we have in most of our facilities,” he said.

Orobode stressed that fear among health workers could severely impact service delivery, as staff may become reluctant to attend to patients during vulnerable hours.

“If health workers are afraid for their lives, how can they give their best to patients? The morale is already affected,” he added.

He said discussions had been initiated with the state Commissioner for Health and the Akure South Local Government Chairman to address the situation, while the union’s State Executive Council was expected to take a final decision on the proposed industrial action.

“The government must act now. The primary responsibility of any government is the security of lives and property,” he said.