Dog kills security guard in Akwa Ibom

By Etim Ekpimah

A dog has killed a security guard deployed in the home of the Chief Medical Director, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Prof. Etete Peters, through serious lethal bites.

The security guard, who has been identified as Mr. Isong, was said to have been attacked by the dog while on duty last week.

It was learnt that Isong was not able to access medical care following the non-payment of salaries to domestic staff working with the medical director for five months.

A security guard, who did not want to be named, told our correspondent in Uyo on Sunday that Isong was still coping with the dog bite until Sunday morning when he was found struggling on the ground, with saliva rushing out of his mouth.

The source said, “We reported the dog bite to the CMD but he did nothing about it. Isong was quite helpless because we have not been paid for five months now. On Sunday morning, he reported to duty, but when we turned behind the building, we saw him struggling on the ground with saliva gushing out of his mouth, we rushed him to the hospital, but unfortunately he died.

 “Life has been generally very hard for some of us who are working with the CMD. They keep giving very delicious meals to these wild dogs, but we humans are denied the opportunity for a comfortable life. How do you survive when you are being owed by a man who is not poor?” he asked.

Our correspondent learnt that Isong’s clansmen and family, who are not happy about the death of their son, blocked all entrances leading to and out of the UUTH, alleging that the CMD denied them the opportunity to see their son in the mortuary.

One of the family members, Mr. Ime Ekong, who spoke with our correspondent, expressed disappointment over the attitude of a medical director of a teaching hospital to allow his employee to die of an ordinary dog bite.

“We wouldn’t expect him to personally treat our son, why did he not at least pay his salaries? The young man would have been able to take care of himself,” he said.

But the CMD stated otherwise. He said the news that one of his employees died as a result of dog bite some days ago is false.

He noted that there was an incident of a dog biting one of his security guards three months ago. He added that the guard was well-treated and taken care of.

Culled from Punch