Posted on: Wed 17-01-2024

The Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Dare Ogundare, has ordered a thorough investigation into the attack by hoodlums on Monday, on Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, and the forcible removal of the corpse of a dead patient.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, said that the CP met with the parties involved in the matter on Tuesday morning, adding that the police had started investigating some persons fingered in the attack on the hospital.

The hoodlums, suspected to be members of a drivers’ union, angered by the death of the patient, who was the father to one of them, had allegedly descended on doctors and other hospital workers, vandalized the Accident and Emergency Unit, and forcibly took away the corpse.

Some EKSUTH workers, including members of the Association of Resident Doctors, immediately embarked on strike, calling for their security and the arrest and prosecution of the culprits.

The police spokesperson said normalcy had since returned to the hospital while law enforcement agents had been deployed to the facility to ensure the security of lives and property.

Abutu said, “The CP has ordered a thorough investigation into it. We have invited some persons who have been fingered; some of them are with us, and we are still expecting more to arrive for investigation.

“We (police) have had a meeting with the parties – the union, EKSUTH management, led by the CMD, the representatives of government, the family of the deceased, everybody was present in the Commissioner of Police’s office this (Tuesday) morning for a roundtable talk to see a way of resolving the matter.”

Also speaking, the chairman of the resident doctors’  association at the hospital, Dr Famous Adeyemi, said the strike would be ongoing until the assailants were apprehended.

“The hospital is calm, but the strike is still on. Our demands are clear the culprits should be arrested and prosecuted immediately. I just got a call now that they have commenced the arrest, but until we are sure. If they arrest them, we will call off the strike and return to work,” Adeyemi said.

EKSUTH CMD, Prof. Kayode Olabanji, had on Monday condemned the attack on workers, vandalism of the hospital facilities, and forcible removal of the corpse, saying, “The management will not tolerate any act of violence or mayhem being unleashed on members of staff of the hospital.”

The CMD had appealed to the members of staff to calm down as steps were being taken to ensure that such an incident did not recur, saying the management would not tolerate any act of molestation of its staff while discharging their duties.

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