ROBBERS RAID ABSUTH AGAIN

Barely one week after armed robbers raided the labour room and two other departments at the Abia State Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH's) old site in Aba , the men of the underworld again yesterday raided the health institution, putting fears in the public about the safety of patients and workers in the hospital.

Last week, at about 2am, armed robbers numbering about five raided the Central Delivery Unit (CDU) of the hospital, where they forced pregnant women, who were inside the labour room and others waiting within the unit to be delivered of their babies, to lie face down after which they made away with their valuables.

Daily Sun gathered that yesterday's incident, which also took place at about 1.30 am, saw the hoodlums gaining access into the teaching hospital from the same point they went in last week.

A reliable source hinted that the robbers, on gaining entry, made straight for the workers and students' hostels where they raided among others, the house of the Chief Security Officer of the hospital, Onwubufor Linus and collected an undisclosed sum of money and other valuables from him at gunpoint.

The source also hinted that the men of the underworld's attempt to rape some of the female students after collecting their hand sets and cash was rebuffed by the students themselves.

Some of the workers, who spoke to Daily Sun on condition of anonymity wondered why management had been paying lip service to the security of the health institution, that is a shouting distance from the headquarters of the Aba Area Command of the Nigeria Police.

'This is not the first time armed robbers are attacking the health institution and management has been keeping quiet. Even last week, robbers raided the CDU and dispossessed women in labour of their valuables.

'We are now living in fear, we don't know the next night the robbers will strike and management, despite the fact that the area command headquarters of the Nigeria Police is just a stone throw from the hospital, have not done anything about this ugly development.'

Efforts made to reach the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the institution, Joe Onwuka to react on the incident failed .