…over refusal by a nurse to date their leader
Scores injured as rival groups clash over incident
Six nurses at a private hospital, Atewogbeja Hospital, Isale Osun in Osogbo, Osun State, have yet to come to terms with the misfortune that befell them in the early hours of penultimate Monday.
What they, in their wildest imagination, never expected, happened to them in the wee hours of that night. They were allegedly raped while on duty by some suspected hoodlums, armed with dangerous weapons!
The affected nurses were said to have been sexually assaulted in turn during the night by the fierce-looking thugs, who were said to be armed with machetes and axes.
Youths go after suspected rapists
As the news of the sad occurrence trickled in at dawn, residents of the area were gripped with fear that even a hospital could not be shielded from the menace of suspected thugs, who were said to be in the habit of causing chaos in the state capital at will.
Pandemonium, however, broke out as the residents were pondering on the incident, when some youths in the area picked up dangerous weapons and took to the streets in search of the suspected thugs, who had earlier raped the six nurses at the hospital.
How attack on nurses occurred
A resident of the area, living beside the hospital, but who did not want his name mentioned, told our correspondent that the leader of the suspected thugs had earlier made several efforts to woo one of the nurses into a relationship, but she had been adamant.
He explained, “The man had made several phone calls to the nurse, but she did not pick his calls. So, he decided to check on her at the hospital, where she was working. When the man (suspected thugs’ leader) got to Atewogbeja Hospital, he saw the nurse, who shunned him. This infuriated him and he made some phone calls to members of his gang to come over to the hospital with dangerous weapons. This was around 11:30pm on Sunday.
“A few minutes after he (thugs’ leader) made the call, some fierce-looking suspected thugs stormed the hospital and raped the six nurses on night duty. After forcibly having carnal knowledge of the nurses, the thugs raided the hospital. They dispossessed patients of their money and phones, including those belonging to the nurses.”
Our correspondent further gathered that the nurses and patients, including their caregivers, were screaming and lamenting after their ordeal until some residents later summoned courage and approached the hospital.
It was learnt that the hospital did not have any security operative or night guard on duty when the suspected thugs struck.
Angry youths on the rampage
But when the youths of Isale-Osun got wind of the incident, they quickly mobilised themselves and went in search of the suspected thugs, who allegedly raped the nurses. The angry youths, who brandished guns, cutlasses and charms, took to the streets of Oja-Oba, Oke Baale, causing panic and mayhem.
Tension quickly built up in these areas. Even the police traffic warden directing traffic at the Oja Oba area fled on sighting the rampaging youths, who had embarked on a reprisal.
The youths accused their rivals at Abowo in Oke Baale area of committing the crime, which the residents of Isale Osun have termed a “sacrilege.”
The incident led to series of violent clashes between groups of youths and suspected thugs on vengeance mission and other rival groups in Osogbo penultimate Monday, leaving many with various degrees of injuries.
The sight of the rampaging youths, numbering about 50, and wielding dangerous weapons penultimate Monday morning sent residents of areas such as Oja Oba, Gbaemu and Ibokun road scampering to safety. Panicky residents, including traders, took refuge in available “safe havens” to escape being caught in the web of the violence.
It was learnt that a day before the suspected thugs stormed the hospital to allegedly rape the nurses on night duty, some youths, also suspected to be thugs from Obate area in Osogbo, had attacked a rival group based in the Isale Osun area of Osogbo, where the hospital is located.
Though no life was lost in the attacks, many innocent residents were said to have been injured.
Some of the victims of the attack, it was also learnt, were in critical conditions as a result of severe injuries they sustained from their attackers.
Since the attack, residents and business owners around Oja Oba and Ibokun road, have been living in fear, following widespread rumours that a reprisal attack was being planned.
Also, some rival groups of suspected thugs had, a week earlier, clashed at Ayetoro and Igbona areas of the state capital.
Sources close to the state Criminal Investigation Bureau confirmed the arrest of some suspects in connection with the clashes.
But our correspondent gathered that the youths from Isale Osun had vowed to apprehend the suspected thugs, who allegedly raped the nurses as they have continued to ransack the nooks and crannies of the state capital, especially known joints, where they always meet.
NGO condemns incessant thugs’ attacks, blames Aregbesola
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Advocacy for Advancement of Peace and Harmony in Africa Initiative, has condemned the incessant clashes between rival groups of suspected thugs and youths in Osogbo, describing the development as “uncivilised and barbaric.”
The organisation’s Executive Director, Mr. Olaniyi Ajibola, told our correspondent that the frequent bloody clash between different cult groups had made the state capital “practically unsafe.”
The group accused Governor Rauf Aregbesola of encouraging thuggery in the state by allegedly recognising a group of some suspected thugs as “State Boys.”
The governor was said to have, at some public functions, allegedly hailed and recognised some of the suspected thugs, popularly known as “State Boys,” a development that many residents of the state are said not to be happy with.
Ajibola blamed the state government and the various security agencies in the state for their inability to put viable mechanism in place to put the situation under control.
He said that the atmosphere of violence and chaos created by suspected cultists and thugs in the state had eroded the relative peace it had enjoined over time, calling for quick intervention from the highest echelon of security agencies.
According to him, the frequent bloody clashes between outlawed organisations seem to have overwhelmed the security agencies in the state.
He added that the situation could degenerate if nothing was done to check it and bring it under control.
He said, “Our organisation, in recent times, has painstakingly analysed the trend of cult clash in Osogbo, and inferred that the trend, which the menace is taking, appears to be too dangerous for the peace of the state. The bloody engagement among these miscreants in broad daylight is worrisome as it is frightening, making residents of the town more panicky and devastated.
“We are concerned about what the security agencies in the state are doing to nip these criminal activities in the bud. It is completely wrong for security agencies to sit down and wait till when such things happen or when the peace of the people has already been threatened before they act. There is a need for robust intelligence gathering mechanism to discover such criminal act before it happens.”
Few minutes after he (thugs’ leader) made the call, some fierce-looking suspected thugs stormed the hospital and raped the six nurses on night duty. After forcibly having carnal knowledge of the nurses, the thugs raided the hospital
The peace advocate, however, carpeted the government and the entire political class in the state for allegedly aiding the gangsters to fester.
Ajibola said, “We have come to discover in the course of our investigation that some of the hoodlums that are wreaking havoc on the people are members of the so-called “State Boys”, who are being specially recognised in public functions by the chief security officer of the state.
“It has also been discovered that many of these guys have hitherto been used by politicians of different parties as political thugs, with different fire arms at their disposal, which they in turn make use of to terrorise innocent citizens after election.”
Govt declines to comment
When contacted for the government’s reaction, a media aide to the Governor, Mr. Sola Fasure, promised to get back to our correspondent, but failed to do so as at the time of filing this report.
