Gunmen storm Ekiti hospital at midnight, demand new born babies

Five gunmen, suspected to be ritualists, in the wee hours of Sunday invaded the government hospital in Ado-Ekiti, demanding for new born babies.
The gunmen arrived at the hospital at about 1am, demanding for a day old babies and beating up staff who could not give satisfactory answer.
A senior health officer, who pleaded anonymity, said that the armed men invaded the hospital located along Irona area at about 1am and suddenly began molesting medical officials on night duty.
According to the officer, the invaders, who were fully armed, demanded for the whereabouts of a particular baby, said to have been delivered earlier in the day.
“They got more annoyed when they were told that no baby was available in the hospital as at the time they came. It angered them the more and they went berserk,” the officer said.
The men who beat up the hospital staff and injured some of them.
The source added: “As a senior person on duty, I tried to convince them that all new born babies have been discharged from the centre in the last couple of days, but they refused to be convinced.
“This angered them the more and they descended on the staff, beating us.
“Some of them were busy ransacking the place in search of babies.”
When contacted, the Chairman of Ado Local Government Area, Tope Olanipekun, confirmed the incident.
Olanipekun said: “This is a new twist to crime in the area.”
Olanipekun, who claimed to have visited the hospital to see things for himself, described the incident as the “highest point of callousness on the part of the perpetrators”.
He added: “As I speak, the incident actually happened and I want to assure you that we are taking step to forestall a recurrence.”
The chairman said that he had already ordered that night duty be suspended in all the hospitals in the council, pending when tight security measures, which would include fencing of all health centres, be taken.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Victor Babayemi (ASP), who was surprised at the development, said the incident was yet to be reported to the police command.