Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The management of the University College Hospital (UCH), the foremost teaching hospital in Nigeria, has beefed up security around the medical facility over intelligence received that some hoodlums planned to burn the facility.
The news came as hoodlums, as early as 7:30am on Sunday, stormed Mokola Divisional Police Station, Mokola Roundabouts, Ibadan with a view to setting it ablaze. But they were repelled by Mokola youths and Operation Burst, a joint security outfit of the Oyo State Government, and in the process, one person was shot dead, while a woman police inspector was also said to have been seriously injured.
The Public Relations Officer of UCH, Mr. Toye Akinrinlola, said it became necessary to beef up security in the teaching hospital so that the facility would continue to attend to the health needs of Nigerians.
According to Akinrinlola, “Our attention has been drawn to the plans by suspected hoodlums to attack the University College Hospital, Ibadan. This is also as the Federal Ministry of Health has alerted all Teaching Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres, Specialist Hospitals and other tertiary hospitals in Nigeria of the plans to attack them.
“Consequently, the Ministers in the Ministry have directed all CMDs (Chief Medical Directors) and MDs (Medical Directors) to beef up security around their facilities.
“We at UCH have taken bold steps to ensure the safety of lives and property within the Hospital. Very early this morning (Sunday), the CMD, ProfessorJesse Abiodun Otegbayo called the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, to brief him on the development.
“The governor assured the CMD that adequate security measures will be put in place to protect the UCH and other health Institutions in the state.
“Also, the CMD has called on the heads of all security agencies to provide security support to UCH, and to which we have received positive responses.
“The CMD therefore wishes to assure the staff, students and patients in the Hospital that they are safe, as well as their property. He has urged everyone to be conscious of their environment and take measures to ensure the security of their property.”
On the attempt by armed thugs to burn Mokola police station, eyewitness account revealed that Mokola youths mobilised in their hundreds to repel the hoodlums from setting the station ablaze.
The witness confirmed the death of a boy, who was hit by a stray bullet why the crisis was ongoing. But it could not be established who fired the gunshot that killed the boy.
