UYO, NIGERIA — The Akwa Ibom State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has declared an immediate strike and announced plans to file a ₦1 billion civil lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The drastic actions follow a violent raid by EFCC operatives at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), which resulted in the alleged assault and arrest of a senior medical consultant.
The Assault and Raid on UUTH
The crisis erupted at the teaching hospital when heavily armed EFCC operatives stormed the facility. Operatives targeted the office of the Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Professor Eyo Ekpe, a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon.
According to witnesses and footage circulating online, operatives physically assaulted Professor Ekpe before taking him into custody. When other medical staff, students, and workers attempted to intervene, the operatives reportedly fired gunshots into the air and dispersed the crowd with tear gas. The Akwa Ibom NMA Chairman, Professor Aniekan Peter, was also allegedly shoved and tear-gassed by the operatives when he approached the scene to seek clarification.
The ₦1 Billion Legal Challenge
In a communiqué issued after an emergency general meeting, the NMA announced it will institute legal action against the anti-graft agency to demand ₦1,000,000,000 in damages.
The association stated that the multi-billion naira claim is to compensate for the physical, emotional, professional, and institutional damage inflicted by the raid. The union condemned the operation as barbaric, inhumane, and a gross violation of the sanctity of a hospital environment, emphasizing that medical facilities are sacred zones meant for the preservation of life and must never be subjected to armed invasion.
The Cause of the Incursion
The conflict stems from an EFCC investigation into a suspect accused of defrauding financial institutions, including the University of Uyo Microfinance Bank. The EFCC stated officers were sent to UUTH merely to verify a medical report submitted by the suspect. However, the medical community noted that the raid occurred while the consultant was in the process of responding to the EFCC’s inquiry, noting that no formal invitation was issued prior to the armed intervention.
