A tense situation erupted at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) on Sunday after the Chief Security Officer, Mr. Izge Ibrahim, allegedly ordered a total lockdown of the hospital gates, preventing patients and their relatives from gaining access.
The directive, which stranded hundreds of families outside the facility, has sparked outrage and raised alarm over the welfare and safety of those on admission.
Relatives lamented that they were barred from delivering food and essential supplies to patients, following a controversial new order allegedly introduced by Ibrahim banning the entry of meals in food flasks, described as “a new way of stealing.”
The move has left many patients distressed and hungry, with some reportedly going without food for hours. “This is wickedness. How can a man come in and suddenly shut down the hospital gate, blocking us from seeing our sick relatives? Patients need food and care, not punishment,” one aggrieved family member told Zagazola.
Zagazola observed chaotic scenes at the hospital entrance, where desperate relatives argued and pleaded with security operatives, while patients inside reportedly cried for help.
As of press time, UMTH management had not issued an official response to the incident.
