EFCC raid on Uyo teaching hospital sparks outrage, Obi condemns teargas use

Presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, has strongly condemned the alleged invasion of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), describing the reported use of teargas within hospital premises as reckless and dangerous to patients and medical staff.

In a statement personally signed on Thursday, Obi said while he supports the constitutional mandate of the EFCC and other security agencies, their operations must always be carried out with restraint, professionalism, and respect for human life.

He said the alleged use of teargas inside a hospital environment compromised the safety of vulnerable patients and disrupted critical medical services.

“Reportedly, the EFCC operatives who stormed the hospital shot teargas canisters within the hospital premises, which sent medical staff and patients running for safety,” he said.

Obi described the incident as “thoughtless,” warning that such actions risk undermining public confidence in law enforcement institutions.

The EFCC had on Tuesday reportedly stormed the hospital in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, in connection with the verification of a medical report submitted by a fraud suspect standing trial at the Federal High Court in Uyo.

The operation reportedly escalated into a violent confrontation, during which teargas and live rounds were allegedly discharged. Four staff members, including the Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Council, Professor Effiong Ekpe, a cardiothoracic surgeon, were arrested, while several workers sustained injuries.

The incident has since triggered an indefinite strike by medical doctors at the hospital.

The Chief Medical Director of UUTH, Professor Ememabasi Bassey, told journalists that the operatives arrived without presenting a warrant, without identifying themselves to hospital management, and without prior notification to authorities.

He also alleged that the medical report being investigated was fraudulent, suggesting possible internal compromise involving some hospital personnel.

Obi, however, said the development raises broader concerns about the treatment of healthcare professionals in Nigeria and the message being sent to those working under difficult conditions.

“If a Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery is arrested in such a demeaning manner in a hospital environment, what signal are we sending to other medical professionals working hard to keep our health sector afloat?” he asked.

He noted that Nigeria has about 80 cardiothoracic surgeons serving a population of over 200 million people, adding that the arrested professor is reportedly the only specialist of his kind in Akwa Ibom State.

The former Anambra State governor stressed that the rule of law must remain central to all enforcement actions, insisting that hospitals must be treated as critical national institutions deserving of protection.

“Nothing justifies the use of teargas in a fragile hospital environment. Our hospitals are critical to national development and must be respected,” he said.

He urged security agencies to adopt greater professionalism and civility in the discharge of their duties, warning against what he described as growing institutional excesses.

The EFCC, however, has denied invading the hospital, with its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, insisting that its operatives were on an official assignment.

Meanwhile, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) and the Association of Resident Doctors at UUTH have demanded disciplinary action against the operatives involved, public apologies in national newspapers, compensation for injured staff, and repair of damaged property.

The unions said the strike would continue until their demands are fully addressed.