Fear grips UNTH as gunmen abduct deputy director, security man

There was apprehension, yesterday, at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, after some gunmen attacked the facility and whisked away the director of nursing services,Mrs Ngozika Mbah and a security man.

The Guardian learnt that the female director and the security man, whom she picked on her way to work, had driven into the hospital premises when an unspecified number of gunmen swooped on them.

The assailants were said to have opened fire on the black Land Cruiser she drove, forcing her to stop. They immediately approached her vehicle, seized her and the security man, jumped into their own car, and zoomed off.

A video of her abandoned car with bullet holes has since gone viral. The voice of a female could be heard in the clip, saying: “One of our staff has just been kidnapped. This is so sad. We are not safe at all in this hospital; everywhere is porous.”

It was gathered that the incident occurred at the same spot where a medical doctor was kidnapped a few weeks ago.

Spokesperson for the state police command, Daniel Ndukwe, had yet to speak on the matter at press time. However, the UNTH Public Relations Officer, Boniface Uchelue, confirmed the incident.

He said relevant security agencies had been briefed on the matter, adding that he was confident the abducted persons would be rescued unhurt.

Recall that armed persons on Sunday killed a yet-to-be-identified man, who was travelling with his family on the Eke-Egede-Affa road in Udi Local Council. The killers abducted his wife and daughter, leaving the man dead in a pool of his blood.