Medical professionals in Nigeria are demanding an end to what they describe as unlawful arrests by security forces, with the Nigerian Medical Association warning that doctors are being detained and prosecuted over alleged negligence without proper investigations. Speaking at a press conference in Abeokuta on Thursday, representatives from the association’s Ogun State branch outlined a troubling pattern of security agencies bypassing elished professional oversight mechanisms in cases involving patient deaths.
Dr. Ogunjimi Luqman Opeoluwa, chairman of the Ogun State chapter, explained that doctors working in border communities such as Ota, Mowe and Ogijo are particularly vulnerable to immediate arrest following patient deaths, often without any preliminary investigation into the circumstances. The association maintains that allegations of medical negligence should first be investigated by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, the body legally empowered to handle such complaints, rather than having security personnel detain practitioners without following due process. Patient deaths do not automatically constitute evidence of wrongdoing, he stressed, and every case deserves thorough examination before blame can be assigned.
The comments came during activities marking the association’s 2026 Annual General Meeting, which adopted the theme “Protecting the Doctor, Caring for the Caregiver” in response to what members describe as escalating harassment, intimidation and physical assaults against healthcare workers. Association officials revealed they have repeatedly been forced to accompany doctors to police stations over matters that should have been handled through elished professional procedures. In a sign of growing frustration, the medical body is currently pursuing three separate criminal assault cases in court, insisting that individuals who healthcare workers face prosecution.
Beyond concerns about arrest procedures, Dr. Ogunjimi urged patients and their relatives to utilize official complaint channels available within hospitals rather than resorting to violence when dissatisfied with treatment. Hospitals maintain dedicated mechanisms, including SERVICOM units specifically designed to investigate complaints against doctors and other health workers, he noted. Such institutional safeguards exist precisely to address grievances through proper channels while protecting both patients’ rights and medical professionals’ ability to work without fear of mob justice or arbitrary detention.
The issue unfolds against a backdrop of severe staffing shortages in Nigeria’s healthcare system, with Ogun State facing particularly acute challenges. With an estimated population approaching nine million people, the state currently employs only about 1,200 doctors across federal and state public health institutions, a figure Dr. Ogunjimi described as woefully inadequate. Meeting the healthcare needs of the state’s growing population would require between 5,000 and 10,000 doctors, he calculated, highlighting the strain on remaining practitioners as many colleagues emigrate in search of better opportunities abroad.
While acknowledging that brain drain continues to deplete Nigeria’s medical workforce, Dr. Ogunjimi emphasized that some practitioners have made conscious decisions to remain and serve despite difficult conditions. Those who stay deserve support and protection from government and the public alike, he argued, rather than facing hostile working environments that compound already challenging circumstances. As Nigeria grapples with overlapping crises in healthcare staffing, infrastructure and professional respect, how authorities respond to the medical association’s demands may determine whether more doctors choose to leave or feel secure enough to continue practicing in their home country. Without addressing the fundamental issues of due process and professional dignity, the exodus of sed medical personnel seems likely to accelerate, leaving patients with even fewer options for quality care.
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