The management of the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital has arraigned two individuals for allegedly assaulting medical professionals while carrying out their lawful duties at the hospital.

The Chief Medical Director, Bola Ahmed, disclosed this while addressing journalists in his office in Ilorin on Saturday.

The arraignment came days after the association of resident doctors at the hospital declared a 48-hour warning strike over alleged assault of one of its members at the hospital’s maternity ward.

Mr Ahmed stated that the management’s decision to arraign the suspects was meant to deter others from assaulting healthcare workers.

The suspects, Abdulsalam Hamzat and Adetunji Victoria, were accused of assaulting medical professionals while they were discharging their official responsibilities within the hospital premises.

The director noted that the suspects were arraigned before a magistrate court presided over by M. G. Olujide.

Mr Ahmed, however, said the court granted them bail following an oral application by their counsel, Toyin Mohammed Onaolapo, who argued that the alleged offences were not capital in nature and are therefore bailable under the relevant provisions of the law.

“The court admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of ₦100,000 each. In addition, each of them is required to provide two reliable adult sureties residing within the court’s jurisdiction and to submit affidavits of means,” he stated.

According to the director, the defendants were directed by the court to write formal letters of apology to the complainants through the chief medical director of the hospital and submit written undertakings pledging that such incident would not occur again.

While noting that the prosecution would help curb the rising cases of assault on healthcare workers, Mr Ahmed reaffirmed the government’s commitment to pursuing the matter diligently to its logical conclusion.

The case was adjourned until May 22 for further hearing.