By Abuja, Nigeria
The (FCT) chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has condemned the assault of one of its members by suspected “one-chance” criminals in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
In a statement issued Wednesday and signed by the chapter’s chairman, Jama Medan, the association said the victim who works at the Wuse General Hospital had completed her afternoon shift but stayed behind to help a colleague on night duty stabilise a critically ill patient. The association added that while returning home after work, she was attacked, beaten and left seriously wounded by the criminals.
The association described the incident as another brutal attack on a healthcare worker and a reminder of a previous case involving a health worker at Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, which it said remains unresolved.
The group lamented repeated attacks on nurses across the FCT, including in Wuse, Asokoro, Kubwa, Maitama, Kuje and Gwarinpa, stressing that the trend is unacceptable. According to the association, many nurses, particularly women, now feel unsafe commuting to and from work, with some bus stops near hospitals described as “death traps”.
To curb this menace, the association called for an immediate and thorough investigation to identify, arrest and prosecute those responsible, urging the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to direct security agencies, including the State Security Service, to strengthen surveillance around hospitals and ensure regular patrols at vulnerable bus stops. The union stressed that the safety of nurses and other healthcare workers must be treated as a national priority.
“No healthcare worker should risk their life simply for serving humanity,” the statement said.
