NIGERIA:Bandits Attack Kaduna Hospital, Kidnap Nurses and Patients

By Onoja Baba, Abuja, Nigeria

In a fresh wave of violence, bandits stormed the Primary Healthcare Centre in Kuyallo, Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, abducting two nurses and an unspecified number of patients.

The incident according to The Punch occurred on Monday.

Musa Alhassan, a leader of a local vigilante group, reported that the assailants initially targeted the nearby Government Day Secondary School, arriving around 9 a.m. However, upon discovering that the school was deserted, the attackers redirected their efforts to the healthcare center.

“The bandits came to the school around 9 a.m., asking about the students, but when they found out the school was empty, they went to the healthcare center and started kidnapping people,” Alhassan explained.

Alhassan further noted that the attackers, who were believed to be aiming for a larger kidnapping of students, instead seized two female nurses and several patients, leaving the community in shock and fear. “The exact number of patients kidnapped is still unknown,” he added.

An eyewitness recounted the terrifying experience, stating, “The bandits came into the healthcare center, wielding guns and machetes. They started dragging people out of the hospital, and we could not do anything to stop them.”

This incident is the latest in a series of violent attacks by bandits in Kaduna State, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced security measures to protect vulnerable communities and critical facilities like hospitals.

As of the time of making this report, the Kaduna State Police Command and state government officials had not confirmed the incident. Attempts to reach the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, for comment were unsuccessful as he did not respond to phone calls or text messages from a correspondent.

The attack has thrown the Kuyallo community into panic, with residents calling for immediate government intervention to address the escalating insecurity in the region.