EFCC Apologises, Health Unions Suspend Strike as UUTH Standoff Ends

A five-day standoff between health workers and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) is over. Health sector unions in Akwa Ibom State have suspended their strike following a truce brokered by the state government on Sunday, May 18, 2026.

How the Crisis Started

The trouble began on May 13 when EFCC operatives stormed UUTH in Uyo, disrupting an ongoing surgery and firing teargas at doctors, patients, and onlookers in the process. The incident drew widespread outrage and prompted health unions — including the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) — to down tools in protest.

The EFCC later said the visit was administrative, connected to an alleged fake medical report. But for health workers, the manner of the operation was indefensible. Teargas in a hospital ward is not an administrative visit.

The Resolution Meeting

The Akwa Ibom State Government moved fast to contain the fallout. A Joint Stakeholders’ Meeting was convened at the Old EXCO Chambers, Governor’s Office, Uyo, under the directive of Governor Umo Eno. Deputy Governor Senator Akon Eyakenyi chaired the session, which brought together state officials, EFCC representatives, UUTH management, the NMA, JOHESU, NANNM, and other health sector unions.

At the end of the meeting, a communiqué was issued. Stakeholders described the EFCC raid as “unfortunate and entirely avoidable.” The EFCC’s representatives at the meeting expressed regret and apologised directly to the UUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Eyo Ekpe; JOHESU Chairman Mr Akanubong Asuquo; NMA Chairman Prof. Aniekan Peter; and NANNM. The agency pledged that a formal apology would follow from its headquarters and that such conduct would not be repeated.

What Was Agreed

The resolution came with concrete commitments. The EFCC and UUTH management are to set up direct communication channels for handling any future investigations involving the hospital. Security and law enforcement agencies were advised to follow due process in healthcare settings and avoid disrupting medical services. A liaison committee made up of state government officials, UUTH management, the EFCC, and union representatives will monitor how the resolutions are carried out.

Stakeholders also agreed to pursue accountability for whoever produced the alleged fake medical report at the center of the EFCC’s visit. The state government pledged to participate in the federal inquiry panel constituted by the Minister of Health, as well as the EFCC’s own internal investigation.

Strike Called Off

All health sector unions agreed to suspend the strike “in the overriding interest of public health and industrial harmony,” after consulting with their members. Patients at UUTH can now expect services to resume following the industrial action that had left the hospital stretched.

Health workers thanked Governor Eno for stepping in quickly. The governor’s office, for its part, said it remained committed to improving welfare and allowances for healthcare professionals in the state.

The meeting ended with all parties agreeing to refrain from media exchanges that could reopen tensions and to let the liaison committee handle implementation going forward.

Sources: Vanguard, New Telegraph