Nurses at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) have withdrawn their services in protest over the alleged illegal arrest and detention of three of their colleagues. The incident, which has caused serious tension within the hospital community, occurred on Monday when armed police officers stormed the facility.
According to reliable sources within the hospital, the officers were reportedly invited by a relative of a patient who accused the nurses of being responsible for a missing SIM card. Eyewitnesses described the arrest as aggressive and disruptive, raising concerns about the safety and dignity of health professionals within the workplace.
A nurse who spoke on the condition of anonymity expressed outrage over the incident, stating:
“This is an unacceptable act of intimidation. Instead of following proper investigative procedures, the relatives brought armed men into a hospital environment to harass and arrest our colleagues over an issue as minor as a missing SIM card. It’s both humiliating and unlawful.”
The Nigerian Nurses Association, UCTH chapter, is said to be in emergency meetings with hospital management and security agencies to demand the immediate release of the detained nurses and an official investigation into the incident.
As of this morning, clinical services provided by nurses across several departments have been suspended, and patients are left in uncertainty.
