The University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) in Akwa Ibom State came to a standstill on Tuesday, May 12, following a raid by operatives from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Uyo Zonal Office. The anti-graft agency attempted to arrest Prof. Effiong Ekpe, along with three other hospital staff members, leading to widespread disruption.
Reports indicate that when EFCC officials arrived with a court warrant to detain the professor, who serves as Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, hospital employees resisted. Security personnel at the facility locked the main gate, preventing the officers from leaving the premises.
As tensions escalated, the operatives called for backup, and police were eventually dispatched to the scene. In response, Dr. Aniekan Peters, chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the state, ordered all doctors to immediately cease work. Leaders of JOHESU also declared a complete shutdown of the hospital, condemning what they called a brutal and inhuman act.
Dr. Gabriel Eyo, NMA spokesperson, confirmed the incident and described the EFCC’s actions as an attack on the hospital and its workforce. He stressed that a professor of cardiothoracic surgery, the only such specialist in Akwa Ibom, should not be treated like a criminal, noting that Ekpe was injured during the arrest. The strike was called to protest what they see as an injustice.
“Prof. Ekpe is the only cardiothoracic surgeon in Akwa Ibom State. We are not sure what he did, but that is irrelevant now. Due process must be followed. Even criminals deserve better treatment. A simple invitation would have sufficed, but that was ignored. The NMA has convened and decided on an indefinite strike; our resolutions will be announced shortly,” Eyo said.
Meanwhile, the police have denied any role in the arrest. Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, stated that his officers were only sent to verify the identities of the EFCC operatives and maintain order. He explained that he ordered police to accompany the EFCC to execute a court order in an ongoing case, after informing the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Emem Bassey, about the operation.
Azare noted, “The EFCC came to make an arrest, and the CMD contacted me to check if my men were involved. I confirmed with the EFCC head, who said they were acting on a court directive. I advised the CMD to allow them access because it is a lawful duty.”
However, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale denied any assault by their officers, claiming they faced unprovoked attacks. He explained that the visit was for inquiries regarding a medical report submitted by a suspect in a fraud case involving the University of Uyo Microfinance Bank. The Commission had sent two letters previously—on March 11 and April 20—to the hospital, but received no response. As a last resort, operatives visited the CMD, only to be locked in and pelted with stones by staff.
Oyewale said, “The CMD ordered the gates shut, preventing lawful inquiries. Despite the hostility, our operatives exercised restraint and left without causing a breakdown of law and order. The public must cooperate with the Commission; obstruction is a criminal offense.”