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The Niger State chapter of the National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners, NAGGMDP, has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the state government to secure the release of a kidnapped doctor, warning of a total shutdown of health services if their demand is not met.
The association is demanding the immediate rescue of Dr Tony Eghagagara, Head of Medical Services at New Bussa General Hospital in Borgu Local Government Area, who was abducted by bandits at his private clinic in Wawa town on April 22, 2026.
In a communiqué released after an emergency general meeting, jointly signed by Chairman, Dr Mustapha Mohammed-Aliyu, and General Secretary, Dr Musa Alhaji-Shehu, the doctors expressed deep concern over rising insecurity and what they described as the “targeted victimisation” of healthcare workers across the state.
The association warned that failure to rescue their colleague within the stipulated timeframe would trigger an indefinite withdrawal of services across all government health facilities in Niger State.
“We will no longer tolerate excuses. If our colleague is not rescued by the expiration of this ultimatum, NAGGMDP will shut down the system and withdraw all services across the state without exception,” the communiqué stated.
The group also called for enhanced security measures, including mandatory security protection for healthcare workers operating in high-risk areas and the deployment of dedicated security personnel to accompany doctors during work hours and on-call duties.
NAGGMDP further urged the government to take full responsibility for the welfare of the abducted doctor’s family by providing immediate financial and logistical support.
The association cited previous security breaches, including the abduction of a doctor at Gulu General Hospital in Lapai Local Government Area and attacks on health facilities across the state.
It also referenced the recent killing of a nurse at General Hospital in Kagara, Rafi Local Government Area, noting that such incidents have left healthcare workers in constant fear.
The ultimatum, which began at 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, is set to expire at 12:00 a.m. on Tuesday, after which the association says it will embark on sustained peaceful protests alongside the planned shutdown of services.
Medical doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Lagos State chapter, and the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners, ANPMP, on Saturday in Lagos staged a rare joint protest, decrying what they described as “persistent harassment, intimidation and unlawful arrests” by government agencies, particularly the police.
The protesting doctors, who marched from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), to Police Command in Ikeja carried placards with inscriptions such as: “No to blame game,” “Doctors are not God to guarantee life,” “No to vague medical negligence,” “Doctors are not criminals,” “No to police harassment,” and “No to doctors’ abduction,” among others.
Addressing journalists during the protest rally tagged “Protest Against Harassment of Doctors,” ANPMP Lagos Chairman, Dr. Jonathan Esegie said the demonstration was both historic and necessary to avert a looming collapse in healthcare delivery.
“This is a gathering of historical importance because, in recent times, this has not happened,” he said. “Like the African proverb says, the rabbit does not run in the daytime unless something is pursuing it. Something is pursuing us.”
Esegie warned that the increasing harassment of doctors poses a “potent danger” not only to the medical profession but to society at large.
According to him, doctors are being “hounded at will, abducted from their practices, harassed, intimidated, maltreated and imprisoned without just cause,” alleging that the police, particularly the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Lagos, are the worst offenders.
“They label doctors with offences without charges or trial. They act as accuser, prosecutor and judge at the same time,” he said.
He noted that some doctors have been forcibly taken from hospitals while attending to patients, leading to disruption of critical services and endangering lives.
“There have been instances where doctors are whisked away from patients and detained for days. While that happens, services are shut down and patients are denied care,” he added.
Esegie warned that the trend is pushing doctors into “defensive medicine,” where fear of arrest discourages them from taking life-saving decisions.
“When faced with emergencies, a doctor may begin to hesitate, asking: ‘If this goes wrong, will I be arrested and labelled a murderer?’ That is dangerous for society,” he said.
