Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, has effectively shut down medical services at the hospital and its Akure Annex following the alleged assault of a colleague by the relatives of a patient. The three‑day warning strike, which began at 8am on Sunday, 31 May 2026, was declared after an emergency general meeting held on Saturday, 30 May, to discuss an attack on a doctor who was on call at the Akure Annex over the weekend. Doctors insist the strike will continue until the perpetrators are arrested and adequate armed security is deployed to the health facility, which has recorded two attacks on medical personnel this year alone.
According to a communiqué signed by the association’s President, Dr. Adeola Oluwadamilola, and Secretary‑General, Dr. Dare Aderemi, the assaulted physician was “slapped several times and manhandled” by the wife of a male patient and the patient himself while the doctor was on duty. The statement described the incident as the second time this year that a doctor had been physically attacked at the institution, adding that assaults on medical officers had become a “recurring decimal” that has created fear and anxiety among healthcare workers. “The Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Medical Centre Owo, convened an Emergency General Meeting on the 30th of May 2026 on account of assault on a doctor on call at the Akure Annex of the hospital,” the communiqué read.
Doctors at the scene said the confrontation escalated rapidly. After the initial assault, the attackers reportedly mobilised thugs who stormed the hospital premises in search of the doctor, forcing staff to move him to a secure location to prevent further harm. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), in a separate statement, alleged that the assailants tore the doctor’s clothes, repeatedly slapped him, subjected him to degrading treatment, and then invited others to continue the attack while issuing direct threats against his life. “Even more disturbing were reports that the assailants allegedly invited thugs to brutalise the doctor further. Fortunately, the doctor was swiftly whisked away to a secure location. The thugs reportedly issued open threats to attack him anywhere he is seen, having now recognised his face,” NARD’s statement said.
In response to the attack and the perceived failure of the hospital management and security agencies to protect medical personnel, the ARD resolved to activate industrial action. “The congress, according to the NARD protocol, declares a 72‑hour total strike which begins 8 am on 31 May 2026. The strike will be reviewed only when adequate armed security is provided in the hospital and its annexes,” the communiqué read. The doctors made it clear that work would not resume until the assailants are arrested, the hospital and its annexes receive armed security personnel, a public apology is published in a national newspaper, and the assaulted doctor is compensated. The ARD also demanded improved security architecture, especially around the Accident and Emergency Unit.
At the time of the assault, the doctor had been single‑handedly managing both the Accident and Emergency Unit and the General Out‑Patient Department for the entire weekend. Sources within the hospital confirmed that severe manpower shortages have left a handful of physicians to cover duties that would normally require a larger team. One doctor, speaking anonymously, described the working conditions as “untenable,” adding that many healthcare workers now fear for their safety and are unwilling to continue working without improved security arrangements.
The strike has left dozens of patients stranded. A visit to the hospital on Monday, 1 June, found consulting rooms locked, the Accident and Emergency unit empty, and patients and their relatives milling around in confusion. Some were forced to travel to other facilities in Akure or beyond, placing additional pressure on an already overstretched regional health system. The disruption is expected to worsen as the strike continues into its second day.
NARD has thrown its full weight behind the industrial action and warned that continued failure by authorities to address violence against healthcare workers could trigger wider nationwide action. “NARD will no longer fold its arms while doctors are treated like criminals in the very institutions where they serve humanity,” the national body stated, adding that the threats issued against the victim are being taken with utmost seriousness. The association called on the management of FMC Owo, the Ondo State Government, the Federal Ministry of Health, and security agencies to act swiftly, decisively and responsibly, warning that “continued silence, negligence, or delayed response only emboldens perpetrators and further endangers healthcare workers across the country.”
The Ondo State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident as of Tuesday, 2 June, and no arrests had been reported. The hospital management also remained silent, leaving the medical community and the public awaiting a response. For the doctors of FMC Owo, however, the message is unambiguous: violence against healthcare workers will no longer be tolerated, and until their colleague receives justice and the hospital walls offer safety, the consulting rooms will stay empty.
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