The Chairman of Nurses and Midwives in Benue State, Comrade Esther Akpai has said that criminals were after nurses in the state.
Comrade Akpai dropped the hint yesterday while speaking to our correspondent in Makurdi.
She said already, four of her members had at different places in the state been abducted and one health worker killed.
Akpai said that despite series of correspondence to security chiefs in the state, the situation was not abating, stressing that criminals were still on the trail of members.
She disclosed that the crisis in the troubled Katsina Alla had led to close down of the State General Hospital in the town.
“As at last year, two nurses working at Federal Medical Center, Makurdi were abducted, also in Katsina Alla and one health worker was killed during the crisis in Katsina Alla.
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“Due to the crisis in Katsina Alla, we advised the board, (Health Management Board) to close down the State General Hospital in Katsina Alla and it has been shut down.
“Yet they (criminals) are still running after nurses in Katsina Alla.
When asked steps been taken by security operatives to arrest the security challenges faced by her members, Akpai said, ‘at any point, we have such issues, we draw the attention of government and security chiefs in the state to them but there is no response.
“You know, nurses work on three shifts, but the second shift close at 9pm and third shift resume that time, so at that time, they are going home they (nurses) are exposed to attack,” She said
and then