The relatives of Joseph Agabaidu, who tragically lost his life in a fatal stabbing during a phone theft attempt in Bauchi State last Saturday, have accused the Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) of negligence.
In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST on Monday, Godwin, the younger brother of the deceased, alleged that his brother did not receive prompt attention upon admission to the Emergency and Trauma Unit of the hospital.
His words: ” My brother was stabbed by some hoodlums along the Yelwa axis. He was first rushed to the school clinic around 7 pm. It was from there that he was referred to the teaching hospital but no one attended to him till 2 am.
“The death of my brother was due to the poor management of the hospital. I noticed there were only two staff on the ground at the time my brother was admitted, so they were not able to manage the situation effectively. They didn’t attend to him on time.”
However, when contacted, the Public Relations Officer of ATBUTH, Usman Koli, told DAILY POST that the management of ATBUTH has commenced an investigation into the matter and will get back to our reporter.
” We have a committee that handles this kind of issue. So the committee has been briefed on these allegations and they have started their investigations. We will get back to you soon.”
The Bauchi Police Command’s report unveiled the tragic demise of Agabaidu, a 500-level Geology student at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University. He was fatally stabbed while attempting to recover his girlfriend’s handbag from suspected armed robbers.
According to the police account, the suspected robbers seized the girlfriend’s handbag, sparking the fatal altercation. The incident unfolded around 7 pm on Saturday, December 9, as Agabaidu was returning to his Yelwa lodge in a Bauchi suburb.
Despite efforts to secure immediate medical aid, the victim succumbed to the injuries sustained during the attack. He was the eldest of four siblings in his family, all attending ATBU.
Following their fellow student’s tragic death, ATBU students staged a peaceful protest. However, the police intervened, positioning an armored personnel carrier at the institution’s entrance. Tensions rose as students closed the gate, disrupting campus activities. Consequently, the university management decided to close the institution for an initial week from December 4 to 10 to prevent further escalation and maintain order.
