NOA, Red Cross launch campaign to enforce compulsory treatment of gunshot victims

The National Orientation Agency (NOA), in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has unveiled the ‘Safety First’ campaign to raise awareness about the compulsory treatment of gunshot victims in Nigeria.

The campaign, unveiled at an event themed “Treat First, Save Lives”, seeks to ensure that victims of gunshot injuries receive immediate medical attention without discrimination or unnecessary delays.

Speaking at the event, NOA Director-General, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, represented by the Director of Health and Social Care, Dr. Ayoola Olufemi, said misconceptions and fears of legal or police complications should not prevent hospitals from providing life-saving treatment to gunshot victims.

Olufemi explained that the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act 2017 provides a legal framework requiring hospitals to offer immediate and adequate medical attention to victims without demanding a police report.

He added that the agency would deploy radio jingles, audiovisual materials, digital platforms and other public enlightenment channels to ensure the campaign reaches Nigerians across the country. According to him, the materials are available in English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Nigerian Pidgin English to promote wider understanding.

Also speaking, the Deputy Head of the ICRC in Nigeria, James Mathew, stressed the need to protect access to healthcare, noting that gunshot injuries are medical emergencies in which every minute counts. He said the existence of a legal framework was not enough without proper understanding and practical implementation by healthcare professionals and security personnel.

Similarly, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, represented by the Director of the Nigeria Police Force Directorate of Legal Services, CP Aremu Bamidele Silas, highlighted the penalties prescribed by the Act for hospitals that refuse to treat gunshot victims, including a fine of ₦500,000 or five years’ imprisonment.

In his closing remarks, the NOA Deputy Director of Health and Social Care, Simon Idoko, urged participants to take the campaign’s messages to their respective communities and help raise public awareness. The event, attended by officials of both organisations and members of the media, also featured the presentation of radio jingles and audiovisual materials developed for the campaign.