The Federal Government has moved swiftly to calm tensions in the nation’s health sector following the controversial incident involving operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Akwa Ibom State.
In a strongly worded communication dated May 14, 2026, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed that senior officials of the EFCC headquarters in Abuja had formally admitted that “a mistake was made” during the operation that sparked outrage among health workers, patients, and civil society groups.
The letter, addressed to the Chief Medical Director of UUTH, M.M. Bassey, stated that the anti-graft agency had conveyed its apologies through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to staff and patients affected by the incident.
The development comes amid growing concerns over what medical professionals describe as increasing harassment and intimidation of healthcare personnel by security agencies within hospital premises.
According to the minister, the Federal Government has now constituted a high-powered ministerial committee to investigate both the immediate and underlying causes of such confrontations involving security personnel and healthcare workers across the country.
“The committee will be inaugurated immediately and will submit its report in two weeks,” the minister stated.
Membership of the committee is expected to include representatives from major medical and civil society bodies, including the Committee of Chief Medical Directors (CMDs), the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA). Senior officials from the Ministry’s Legal Services and Hospital Services Departments will also serve on the panel.
The intervention by the Federal Government is seen as a strategic effort to de-escalate mounting industrial tensions in the health sector following threats of strike actions by aggrieved healthcare workers.
Dr. Pate appealed to hospital management and labour leaders to encourage striking workers to suspend ongoing industrial actions and resume medical services in the interest of patients and the wider public.
“With these steps, I call on you to advocate to striking health workers to immediately suspend their strike and resume provision of health services in the overall public interest,” the minister said.
The incident at UUTH had triggered widespread condemnation from healthcare unions and rights advocates, many of whom argued that hospitals should remain protected spaces where medical personnel can carry out lifesaving duties without intimidation or disruption.
Observers say the outcome of the newly inaugurated committee may shape future protocols governing interactions between security agencies and health institutions nationwide.
For many Nigerians already grappling with fragile healthcare services, the Federal Government’s response is being viewed as a critical test of its commitment to protecting frontline medical workers and restoring confidence within the nation’s public health system.
