Tension has erupted in Akwa Ibom after doctors announced a dramatic escalation following a controversial security operation at a major teaching hospital, setting off a fierce clash between medical professionals and a federal anti-graft agency.
The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has announced plans to file a ₦1 billion lawsuit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following what it described as a violent and unprovoked assault on one of its members during a raid at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH).
The association said the decision to pursue legal action was reached at an emergency meeting convened in response to the incident, which allegedly caused physical, emotional, professional, and institutional harm to those involved.
The EFCC had visited the hospital in connection with a fraud investigation, stating that its operatives went to verify a medical report submitted by a suspect and later approached the Chief Medical Director for further enquiries after facing resistance.
The commission maintained that its team eventually left without disrupting hospital operations.
However, the NMA told a different story. Speaking at a press conference in Uyo, state NMA Chairman Professor Aniekan Peter alleged that masked EFCC operatives physically attacked Professor Eyo Ekpe, a cardiothoracic surgeon, within the hospital premises beating him to the point of bleeding and handcuffing him along with other doctors and staff who tried to intervene.
Professor Peter himself was allegedly shoved and exposed to tear gas when he approached the scene to seek clarification from the operatives.
The association condemned the operation in the strongest terms, describing it as barbaric, degrading, and a gross violation of the sanctity of the hospital environment.
It noted that neither Professor Ekpe nor the NMA leadership had received any prior formal invitation before the raid took place.
Beyond the lawsuit, the NMA issued a set of demands, including a formal apology to the affected doctors and the identification and prosecution of those responsible for the assault.
The association also declared that its members would not return to work until these demands were met, and went further to announce that medical services would be withheld from EFCC officials and their family members until the matter is resolved.