The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has vowed that any officer found to have acted outside established professional standards will face disciplinary action following an incident involving operatives of the commission and staff of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital in Cross River State.
The incident, which occurred on May 12, followed a visit to the teaching hospital by armed operatives of the commission, with allegations that they assaulted the Deputy Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Professor Eyo Ekpe, and four other members of staff.
Following a preliminary review of the incident, Olukoyede directed that an official apology be issued.
In a statement posted on the EFCC’s X handle on Monday, he said the decision was taken to address concerns raised by the medical community and members of the public affected by the incident.
He expressed regret over the development, noting that the conduct of the operatives did not reflect the standards expected of the commission.
“While acknowledging that the well-being of Nigerians is at the core of the Commission’s mandate, he expressed regret at the discomfort the unfortunate episode caused staff of the hospital and members of the public,” the statement read.
Olukoyede also reaffirmed that a full investigation into the incident had been ordered, adding that any officer found culpable would face internal disciplinary measures.
He said, “Once the exercise is completed, any officer found to have acted outside the acceptable code of professional conduct would be subjected to the internal disciplinary process.”
The EFCC chairman further assured stakeholders that the commission would work closely with relevant bodies to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
Despite the controversy, Olukoyede maintained that the agency would continue to carry out its mandate of tackling economic and financial crimes across Nigeria without distraction.
He also called on the Nigerian Medical Association and other professional organisations to continue supporting the commission in its anti-corruption efforts, stressing the importance of collaboration in strengthening accountability and combating corruption in Nigeria.
Recall that Ekpe, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the teaching hospital, had earlier accused EFCC operatives of harassing and assaulting him and other hospital workers during an attempt to arrest him over an alleged fake medical report.
Ekpe narrated the events that led to the confrontation between the EFCC operatives and hospital staff during a press conference last Wednesday.
Similarly, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Ememabasi Bassey, confirmed that Ekpe and four other workers were arrested without prior notice to the hospital management.
Bassey maintained that the medical report in question was fake and suggested that some insiders within the hospital might have collaborated with outsiders to produce it.
“One of the things we must get to the bottom of is how the lawyer handling the case got the fake medical report. There may be bad eggs within the hospital working with outsiders,” he said.
Bassey criticised the conduct of the operatives, saying they went directly to Ekpe’s office without notifying management or presenting an arrest warrant.
“At no point did they come to look for the CMD, the CMAC or the director of administration. They went to his office,” he said.
Also, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria and the Association of Resident Doctors, UUTH chapters, condemned the incident and embarked on industrial action over the alleged assault and arrest.
The associations demanded disciplinary action against the operatives involved, compensation and treatment for injured workers, public apologies in two national newspapers, and repairs to damaged property.
PUNCH Metro reports that the EFCC chairman’s directive for a probe appears to contradict an earlier statement by the commission, which maintained that the operatives involved acted professionally and did not disrupt hospital activities.
Uthman Salami
Uthman, a Mass Communication graduate from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has over six years experience in journalism. He reports crime to community-related news for Metro, business with a focus on the capital market and the oil and gas.
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