AKURE, Nigeria — In a brazen assault that has sent shockwaves through the medical community, heavily armed gunmen invaded a government-owned Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in the Oke Ijebu area of Akure, Ondo State, in the early hours of Saturday, March 28, 2026.
The attackers reportedly stormed the facility around 2:00 a.m., catching staff and patients off guard. Witnesses described a scene of terror as the assailants—arriving in a bus—forcefully gained entry to the premises located opposite a local mega school.
According to harrowing accounts from patients on admission, the gunmen operated with "precision and speed." They rounded up all staff on duty, including senior nurses and several interns, and bundled them into a waiting vehicle.
During the midnight raid, at least six health workers were whisked away to an undisclosed location after the gunmen gained access to the facility by feigning a medical emergency. While the patients on-site were left physically unharmed, many remained visibly shaken by the deception used before the attackers brandished their weapons. Beyond the initial abductions, the ordeal involved a violent robbery in which suspects reportedly assaulted the staff, stripped some of their clothing, and forced them to transfer funds from their personal bank accounts using mobile apps.
Following the raid, the Ondo State Security Network Agency, known as Amotekun, launched an immediate rapid-response operation. By 4:30 a.m., the Corps Commander, Adetunji Adeleye, confirmed that they had successfully rescued several of the victims in the Olokuta axis along the Akure-Ondo Road.
However, a discrepancy has emerged between security agencies regarding the nature of the crime. While Amotekun and union leaders categorized the incident as a coordinated abduction, the Ondo State Police Command described it as a "robbery incident." Police spokesperson DSP Jimoh Abayomi stated that the suspects abandoned the victims in the bush after dispossessing them of their belongings and forcing them to strip to delay their escape.
The incident has triggered an angry response from the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM). The State Council Chairman, Comrade Felix Orobode, lamented the lack of security at public health facilities, noting that many centers rely on unarmed, elderly guards.
"If the government fails to secure our facilities, nurses will withdraw from night duty across Ondo State," Orobode warned. "We are not going to wait until our members are kidnapped for ransom before we take action."