NMA Laments Over Bandits Invasion of Hospital 

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has condemned the random abducting of doctors and invasion of hospitals by gunmen across the country. 

President of NMA, Prof. Bala Audu, bewailed that kidnapping of doctors and other health workers was unacceptable, describing the insecurity of the country as a pandemic. 

Audu denounced the situation, stressing that even during the wartime, hospitals were not attacked and doctors were not consulted at the battlefront. 

He emphasized that an improvement in security at health care would prevent a recurrence of such events.

He further said that on Tuesday evening, at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, a urologist in the department of Urology, Dr. Cornelius Onuigbo, was abducted.

He was kidnapped at the gate of his house after running from work and taken to an unknown location. 

Also, last Wednesday, gunmen attacked the Kankara General Hospital in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State and shot a medical doctor, Muritala Dandashire, and another person. Meanwhile, the bandits abducted five persons in the hospital before fleeing the area.

“Yes, a doctor was shot, and about nine people or so were kidnapped by bandits. In fact, yesterday I visited Katsina State, and I had a direct discussion with the Governor, (Dikko Radda) and I also visited the doctor who was shot. The good thing is that the doctor is recovering very well, and increased security measures are taken to further protect that hospital.

“As we know, the issue of insecurity is a pandemic in this country. The challenges are enormous. But as we also know, even during wartime, hospitals are not targeted. Even in the front lines, when there is actual war on the front lines, they don’t seek out doctors.

“It is very unfortunate that this is happening, but experience has shown that when bandits begin to go to such places, it is probably a sign that they have been decimated, that they can no longer find soft targets.

“So they now go to the softest targets they can get. So I believe with the measures that the Katsina State government is taking, side by side with the Federal Government, to improve the security at their health facilities, they will be able to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.”