The Federal Government has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the suspect in the reported stabbing of a Medical Laboratory Scientist, Lawal Toheeb Olasunkanmi, at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made the call in a statement signed by the Ministry’s Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations, Ado Bako.
Salako condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric and unacceptable, and stressed that no grievance over medical care could justify violence against health workers.
He said health personnel must be able to perform their duties without fear of violence, adding that disagreements over healthcare services should be addressed through established complaint-handling channels.
The minister called on the Nigeria Police Force to ensure the swift arrest of the suspect and pledged that the ministry would follow the case to ensure that justice was served.
According to him, the incident underscored the urgent need to implement measures issued by the ministry on August 5, 2026, to strengthen the protection of health workers in federal tertiary health institutions.
The measures include improved security arrangements, the establishment of violence-prevention teams, incident-reporting mechanisms, collaboration with law enforcement agencies and improved complaint-handling procedures.
Salako emphasised that the measures must translate into effective protection for health personnel across healthcare facilities.
He also appealed to health workers who had embarked on industrial action at FMC Abeokuta to return to work immediately in the interest of patients and the general public.
The minister urged the workers to allow security agencies to investigate the incident, assuring them that the government was committed to addressing concerns about their safety.
He further urged the hospital management to ensure that the injured staff member received appropriate medical care and support, while strengthening security in line with the Federal Government’s directives.
Salako also extended the government’s condolences to the family of the deceased patient, acknowledging the pain associated with losing a loved one.
He urged patients and their relatives who had concerns about the quality of care received at health facilities to use established complaint-handling mechanisms rather than resort to violence.
According to him, complaints should be examined fairly and addressed on their merits through appropriate procedures.
Medical laboratory scientists and other health workers at the hospital had embarked on a 72-hour warning strike following the alleged stabbing of a medical laboratory scientist by a patient’s relative within the hospital premises.
The industrial action, which commenced at 11 a.m. on Monday, is expected to end at 8 a.m. on Thursday, October 15, according to a position letter and strike notice issued by the hospital’s Joint Action Committee.
The committee, in the letter dated October 12 and addressed to the Medical Director of the hospital, identified the injured worker as Mr Lawal Toheeb Olasunkanmi, a medical laboratory scientist.
The unions said the strike was declared in solidarity with their injured colleague and to compel the hospital management to address concerns over the safety of healthcare workers and strengthen security arrangements within the facility.
Describing the incident as an attack on healthcare personnel, the committee said, “This barbaric act of violence against a healthcare worker carrying out their professional duties is a serious assault on the dignity, safety, and welfare of healthcare professionals who dedicate their lives to providing care.”
A medical laboratory scientist at the hospital, Comrade Oladejo Abdullahi Abiodun, who recounted the circumstances surrounding the incident, said he received a distress call from a colleague at about 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.
According to Abiodun, the caller informed him that a scientist on duty had been stabbed in the head and was bleeding.
He said he immediately rushed to the hospital, where he confirmed that the colleague had sustained stab injuries.
Abiodun added that photographs and video recordings of the incident were available.
Although the circumstances leading to the alleged attack were not immediately clear, the Joint Action Committee maintained that the incident required an urgent institutional response and formal action by law enforcement authorities.
The committee said the attack was not merely an individual grievance but a matter affecting the entire workforce.
The committee further demanded a clearly defined policy against violence, threats, intimidation, harassment and physical assault against hospital staff.
According to the unions, such a policy should establish clear procedures for reporting incidents and provide for collaboration with security agencies and law enforcement authorities.
They also requested an urgent meeting with the hospital management to examine existing security gaps and agree on concrete measures, with clearly defined timelines, to protect personnel.
The committee said the management must demonstrate its commitment through immediate and measurable action.
“Acts of violence against healthcare personnel must not be allowed to become normalised or repeated in our institution,” it stated.
The committee added that the action was also a declaration that healthcare workers would not accept a situation in which they were exposed to preventable violence without adequate protection and an appropriate institutional response.
The notice was issued by a Joint Action Committee comprising representatives of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research and Allied Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).
