The Nigerian Medical Association's Lagos branch condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for raiding the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, warning that doctors in Lagos may join Akwa Ibom's indefinite strike if the matter is not resolved within a week.
Dr Babajide Saheed, the NMA Lagos chairman, said EFCC operatives allegedly assaulted Prof. Eyo Ekpe, Deputy Chairman of UUTH's Medical Advisory Committee, and disrupted patient care during the operation. He described the conduct as unlawful and unethical, capable of deepening fear among healthcare workers across the country.
The raid was reportedly linked to allegations that the hospital issued a fake medical report. But Saheed said the incident has created widespread anxiety among doctors who now question whether they can work safely even in public teaching hospitals. "If this could happen in a public teaching hospital, one can only imagine what could happen in smaller health facilities," he said.
Saheed framed the EFCC's actions as part of a larger pattern of harassment against medical practitioners in Nigeria. He recalled that the Lagos NMA had previously intervened when EFCC's Enugu office invited a Lagos-based doctor over a patient's petition. The association's lawyer challenged the jurisdiction in court and prevented the doctor's arrest.
The association is demanding a public apology from EFCC leadership to Prof. Ekpe, affected staff, UUTH management, the NMA Akwa Ibom branch, and all Nigerian doctors. It also wants an independent investigative panel to examine the raid and recommend disciplinary action against officers found culpable.
Saheed stressed that doctors must be allowed to perform their duties without intimidation and that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, the regulatory body for medical practice, should be permitted to carry out its statutory responsibilities without interference.
The NMA Lagos will meet next week to review the EFCC's response. If the commission does not address the association's demands by then, Lagos doctors will join the Akwa Ibom branch's indefinite strike, potentially affecting medical services across the country's healthcare system.
