The Management of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital has pleaded with members of staff of the Hospital to return to their duty posts in the interest of the innocent patients especially at the Intensive care Unit, neonatal sections and the accident and emergency unit at the Hospital.
The Chief Medical Director, CMD, of the Hospital, Professor Ememabasi Bassey, made the plea at a press briefing following the invasion of the health facility by some operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The incident disrupted medical services and left patients stranded, endangered critical medical services, and thrown the entire hospital environment into confusion.
The EFCC Operatives had reportedly invaded the Hospital on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 over alleged refusal of the hospital officials to authenticate a medical report from the health facility.
The situation degenerated into chaos after the operatives allegedly attempted to forcefully remove the Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the Hospital and Professor of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, Prof. Eyo Ekpe, from his office, prompting resistance from medical workers and other hospital staff which led to the harassment and brutalisation of some of the health workers on duty, including Prof Ekpe.
According to eyewitnesses, the situation further escalated when armed EFCC operatives fired tear gas canisters and gunshots into the air within the hospital environment, creating panic among patients, relatives, and workers.
Following the situation, Labour Unions in the hospital directed their members to withdraw their services over safety concerns, a situation that is putting the lives of the patients at risk.
The Chief Medical Director who decried incessant disruption of health services at the Tertiary health facility by security agents, called on the security agencies and operatives to always abide by the universal rule of engagements while visiting health facilities.
“We are appealing to our colleagues and unions to consider the human lives involved. Patients are suffering. Newborn babies and critically ill persons are at risk. Whatever grievances we have, human life must come first,” the CMD said.
Prof. Bassey, who said the initial suspicion, was that the armed men invading the hospital premises were kidnappers and described the incident as an aberration for security agents to invade such a health facility with about six hundred bed capacity attending to over 700 patients daily.
He called on Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities to urgently intervene and establish clear protocols for handling security operations within health institutions to prevent future occurrences.
Prof. Bassey explained that the EFCC had earlier requested the hospital to verify the authenticity of a medical report purportedly issued on behalf of a suspect under investigation. According to the CMD, internal investigations by the hospital later revealed that the document in question was fake and not officially issued by the institution.
“Some actors working in concert with lawyers or whoever for the suspect had opened a folder with no official footing and written a fake medical report on it,” he alleged.
He explained that Prof. Ekpe was only assigned the responsibility of confirming the authenticity of the report before the confrontation occurred.
The CMD strongly condemned the manner in which the operation was conducted, insisting that the hospital management was neither formally informed nor consulted before the attempted arrest.
He described hospitals as sacred environments where utmost caution and civility should be exercised, stressing that armed confrontations within medical facilities pose grave dangers to vulnerable patients.
“A hospital is a hallowed ground, comparable only to a place of worship. You do not invade such a place with chaos and intimidation,”. “Right now, because of the unforeseen circumstances, services have been severely disrupted. We are practically shut down, and we pray this situation is resolved urgently,” he added.
Explaining what transpired during the incident, the Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the Hospital and Professor of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, Professor Eyo Ekpe, who was brutalised and forcefully arrested by the operatives, said the situation had left him emotionally and psychologically traumatised.
Prof Ekpe said the incident occurred while he was processing a response to an EFCC inquiry over a medical report linked to a suspect facing trial as directed by the Hospital Management.
The doctor said he informed the operative that the draft of the document was ready but still needed approval from the Chief Medical Director of the hospital before it could be officially signed and released.
According to him, the officer later returned with another armed operative and informed him that he was under arrest. “I asked him why. I was not the one that issued the medical report. My name is not on the medical report. The report was not issued from my unit,” he said.
“They started pushing me. They dragged me out of the office,” he said.
He said the operatives prevented him from speaking or making calls, making it impossible for him to explain the situation to colleagues who gathered around.
“I saw many masked and armed men came violently, broke the protector, threatening the people that were around,” he said.
Prof Ekpe said some staff members were beaten before he and four others were forced into an EFCC van, adding that tear gas and live ammunition were fired during the chaos that followed within the hospital premises.
Also speaking, the chairman, Joint Health Sector Union at the UUTH, Doctor Akanubong Asukwo, condemned the harassment of staff by the EFCC operatives and vowed to seek redress in court.
On the withdrawal of services by members of the Union, the Doctor Asukwo said decision became imperative to safeguard the lives of staff as they felt threatened and traumatized by the activities of the EFCC operatives.
By: Uko Sam, Uyo.
