Health Ministry Condemns Attack on FMC Abeokuta Worker, Urges Police to Act
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has called on the police to immediately arrest and prosecute the suspect in the reported stabbing of a health worker at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The victim, identified as Mr. Lawal Toheeb Olasunkanmi, is a Medical Laboratory Scientist at the hospital.
Reacting to the incident, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric and unacceptable.
Salako maintained that no level of frustration, grief or dissatisfaction with healthcare services could justify attacking a health worker performing official duties.
The minister, in a press statement dated October 12, 2026, urged the Nigeria Police Force to ensure the immediate arrest of the alleged attacker and pledged that the ministry would follow the case to its conclusion.
He noted that the incident underscored the importance of enforcing the Federal Government’s directives aimed at protecting healthcare personnel in federal tertiary institutions.
The directives, issued on August 5, 2026, include strengthening hospital security, establishing violence-prevention teams, improving incident reporting, working closely with law enforcement agencies and creating more effective complaint-handling procedures.
Salako stressed that the measures must be implemented effectively to prevent further attacks on health workers.
He also called on health workers currently participating in industrial action at FMC Abeokuta to return to work, saying their resumption was necessary to protect the interests of patients and the wider public.
The minister urged the hospital’s management to provide the injured staff member with the necessary medical care and support while reviewing security arrangements to ensure compliance with government directives.
While expressing the Federal Government’s condolences to the family of the deceased patient, Salako encouraged patients and their relatives to channel grievances through the hospital’s established complaint mechanisms.
He said concerns about healthcare delivery should be investigated and addressed fairly rather than through violence.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding healthcare workers, stressing that medical facilities must be safe for personnel to perform their duties and for patients to receive treatment without fear.
