Police Keep Mum On Hospital Robbery In Ogun

Close toy 48 hours after armed robbers stormed the General Hospital, Ijaiye-Abeokuta, Ogun State, the State Police command is yet to make any official pronouncements on the robbery attack.

The robbery attack led to the death of a patient, Lateef Odeyemi, aged 75.

When our correspondent visited the hospital this evening, the attack was still being discussed by staff, patients and visitors.

They wondered where the police were when the robbers operated for over an hour.

One of those who spoke with our correspondent lambasted the police for their failure to come to the aid of the patients in a hospital located within the centre of the town where about four police stations and divisional police stations are located.

There are police stations at Ijemo, Sapon, Kemta-Idi Aba and Isale Oja-Kuto.

The proximity of the stations to the hospitals should not have posed any problem for the police to have arrived promptly at the scene of the robbery.

Besides, a number of patrol teams under Abeokuta South Local Government failed to respond to the robbery attack, which has been described as evidence of poor state of security in the state capital.

“So, where is safe again? If this kind of robbery can happen in a big hospital like this, without the police coming to protect the helpless staff, patients and other innocent persons, who is safe again?” a bewildered patient in the female ward said.

The state government has however reacted to the incident, describing it as unfortunate.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka who led top health ministry officials, including the Special Adviser on Health to the State Governor, Dr. Ogungbe to the hospital this afternoon, assured that necessary adjustments would be made to the security apparatus in the hospital and all others in the state.

He sympathised with victims who lost their valuables, particularly to the family of the deceased Lateef Odeyemi.

He prayed for the family to bear the irreparable loss.

Speaking with our correspondent this evening, Dr. Soyinka promised that the state government will as a matter of urgency beef up security at the hospital and other hospitals in the state.

According to him,”the incident is saddening, and the government will not fold its arms and watch helplessly. We are going to beef up security in the hospital and others across the state to forestall any recurrence. I have met with all the stakeholders and adequate measures have been put in place in which the beefing up of the security is just part of them.”

By Abiodun Onafuye, Abeokuta