The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released Dr. Eyo Ekpe, a Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), following a day of intense unrest.
The release comes after a high-stakes operation at the hospital earlier on Tuesday, which saw EFCC officials storm the premises around 10:00 AM.
Witnesses allege that the officials headed directly for Professor Ekpe’s office, where an attempted arrest reportedly turned into a physical assault, sparking immediate pushback from hospital personnel.
The situation rapidly deteriorated into a “dramatic confrontation” as staff members attempted to intervene. According to eyewitness accounts, the encounter escalated to include the deployment of tear gas and sporadic gunshots as the officials forced their way out of the premises with Professor Ekpe and three other staff members in custody.
The resulting chaos sent waves of panic through the medical facility, leaving patients and visitors in a state of alarm as the hospital environment transformed into a scene of shouting and violence.
In immediate retaliation to the EFCC’s actions, various medical unions have declared a total industrial shutdown. A statement from Emem Edu Umoh, National Publicity Secretary of the Institute of Health Service Administrators of Nigeria, confirmed that major bodies—including the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU)—directed an immediate cessation of all services.
Additionally, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) issued an internal directive, signed by Chairperson, Effiong Unoekieoru, ordering all nurses to vacate the hospital grounds immediately in protest.
While Professor Ekpe has since returned from custody, the motives behind the raid remain shrouded in mystery.
Sources at UUTH indicate that the Deputy CMAC is currently unable to provide a clear reason for his assault or the legal basis for the arrest.
Speaking with XL news Dr. Ekomobong Udoh, President of the Association of Resident Doctors at UUTH, confirmed the Professor’s release during a telephone interview but maintained a firm stance on the industrial action.
He insisted that despite the release, the strike would continue until specific conditions regarding the safety and dignity of medical personnel are met.
The EFCC has offered a brief but sharp rebuttal to the viral accounts of the incident. In a message to the press, A.C.E. 2 Theresa Nwosu, spokesperson for the EFCC’s Uyo Directorate, dismissed the reports of a violent raid, stating that the narration currently in circulation is “so far from reality.”
While the agency has yet to provide its specific version of events, Nwosu indicated that the EFCC headquarters would be issuing a formal statement on the matter shortly to clarify the circumstances of the operation.
