EFCC raid on UUTH: Medical workers down tools
●NMA accuses operatives of impunity, demand apology ●EFFC says they acted legally but were obstructed by UUTH staff
●Why we went to scene – Police
Medical doctors and health workers in Akwa Ibom State have launched an indefinite strike following a chaotic raid on the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Uyo Zonal Directorate.
The incident
On Tuesday, 12th May, 2026, morning, EFCC operatives reportedly stormed the hospital premises to arrest the Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Prof. Effiong Ekpe.
The operation allegedly sparked widespread chaos, resulting in injuries and property damage.
According to eyewitnesses:
Initial confrontation: Two masked men in EFCC vests arrived and attempted to forcibly whisk away a staff member.
Escalation: When colleagues resisted, reinforcement teams arrived, allegedly firing sporadically and deploying tear gas to disperse staff and students.
Arrests: Prof. Ekpe and three other staff members were taken into custody, as several workers sustained injuries, and numerous mobile phones were reportedly damaged as operatives attempted to prevent witnesses from filming.
Union response
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), led by State Chairman Dr. Aniekan Peters, directed all doctors across the state to withdraw their services immediately. Simultaneously, the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) declared a total shutdown of hospital activities.
Dr. Gabriel Eyo, the NMA Public Relations Officer, condemned the operation as a “brutal assault” on the medical profession. He noted that Prof. Ekpe is a Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery and the only specialist in that field in the state.
”Masked officials assaulted him and dragged him away like a common criminal. Regardless of any allegations, due process—such as a formal invitation—should have been followed, rather than a violent arrest in a hospital environment,” Eyo stated.
Speaking exclusively with WatchmanPost from his clinic bed, the Chairman, Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), Comrade AkanUbong Asuquo, said that Prof Ekpe was a decent professional and that when he saw him being manhandled by the operatives, he approached the scene to inquire why he was being assaulted.
Rather than talk to him, or stop the humiliation of Prof Ekpe, an operatives turned on him and willfully hit his head with a gun, breaking his head and blood gushing out, he alleged. As a result, he said he was rushed to the Clinic for treatment. He has threatened to institute legal proceedings against the EFCC for what he said they did to him.
Official reactions
The police perspective
Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, denied claims of a police “invasion.” He explained that officers were only deployed to verify the identity of the operatives after being contacted by the hospital’s Chief Medical Director.
Azare maintained that the EFCC was executing a lawful court order regarding an ongoing case; a judge had specifically directed the commission to produce the suspect in court; and that the police role in the incident was limited to verifying the EFCC’s mission and ensuring the legitimacy of the operation.
The EFCC position
While the EFCC maintains the arrest was a matter of legal compliance, the heavy-handed nature of the raid has left the state’s healthcare system in a state of paralysis as unions vow to continue the strike until their grievances are addressed.
