Lagos Doctors Protest Police Harassment as NMA Removes Branch Chairman

Doctors in Lagos took to the streets on Saturday in a protest that has been building for months. Their grievance: police harassment, arbitrary arrests, and what they call “trial by social media” — where medical professionals are judged by online mobs before any formal investigation takes place.

The trigger was the detention of a doctor and nurse following the death of two children. Rather than following due process, police moved to arrest the medical staff, and the case became a flashpoint for a profession that has had enough.

Extortion on top of harassment

It gets worse. Doctors report paying as much as ₦500,000 and ₦1.5 million just to secure the release of colleagues who were detained without charge. That is not law enforcement. That is extortion dressed up in uniform.

Dr Jonathan Esegine, Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP), was blunt: “Doctors are being hounded at will, abducted from their practices, harassed, intimidated, maltreated and imprisoned without just cause.”

NMA’s internal shake-up

The crisis has also exposed cracks within the Nigerian Medical Association itself. The Lagos branch chairman, Babajide Saheed, was removed from office in an emergency vote — 93 in favour, 4 against, 3 invalid. He has been replaced by the 1st Vice-Chairman, Temidire Ewonowo.

The message from Lagos doctors is clear: the harassment stops now, or the protests will get bigger. Whether anyone in authority is listening is another matter entirely.

Sources: The Sun, New Telegraph, Premium Times