Aproko Doctor condemns alleged EFCC assault on UUTH surgeon

By Folashade Olorunfemi –

A Nigerian celebrity doctor, Chinonso Egemba, widely known as ‘Aproko Doctor’, has condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged assault on a cardiovascular surgeon, Prof. Eyo Ekpe, at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) in Akwa Ibom State.

Aproko Doctor made the allegation on Wednesday via his Facebook page, describing the alleged EFCC operation at the hospital as an “abomination”.

According to him, Prof. Ekpe was preparing for surgery when masked EFCC operatives allegedly stormed the hospital premises in vehicles and buses, firing tear gas within the facility and causing panic among staff and patients.

The health influencer referenced a statement by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), which alleged that the surgeon was beaten, sustained injuries to his forehead, handcuffed and dragged outside the hospital alongside other staff members.

“When you’re carrying out such unprofessional operation, you are not just injuring one man, you are injuring everyone the doctor was about to save, including other doctors in the building, who had to stop their ongoing operations abruptly, as a result of your actions,” he said.

Dr. Egemba said the EFCC allegedly claimed it needed to verify the medical report of a fraud suspect after previous letters sent to the hospital received no response, questioning the justification for the alleged use of force within a healthcare facility.

He further alleged that surgeries were disrupted during the incident, adding that patients scheduled for operations were affected. According to him, the incident had temporarily crippled surgical operations in the state, noting that Akwa Ibom reportedly has only one cardio-thoracic surgeon.

He called on EFCC Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, to discipline the officers allegedly involved, apologise to the hospital community and establish clear procedures for engaging health institutions, while also urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate to intervene in the matter.