THE National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, has condemned the attack on a nurse by suspected “one-chance” criminals shortly after closing from duty at Wuse General Hospital.
In a statement on Wednesday, February 18, the association said the nurse had stayed behind after her afternoon shift to assist a colleague on night duty in stabilising a patient at the intensive care unit before boarding a vehicle home.
She was allegedly attacked, beaten and left seriously wounded. Her colleagues said she is currently receiving treatment.
The union described the development as part of a troubling pattern of attacks targeting healthcare workers across the FCT.
According to the statement, nurses working in the FCT now operate under constant fear, particularly when commuting during early mornings and late evenings.
The association called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the latest assault, urging security agencies to identify, arrest and prosecute those responsible.
It also appealed to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, to direct the police, the State Security Services (SSS) and other security agencies to strengthen surveillance around hospitals and patrol vulnerable bus stops.
“No healthcare worker should risk their life simply for serving humanity. Nurses, especially the female gender are no longer safe commuting to and from work. Bus stops around hospitals have become death traps, and fear now shadows our daily duties. Nurses cannot continue to serve under constant threat to their lives.
“We demand immediate, decisive, and sustained action to guarantee the safety and security of all nurses and healthcare workers in the Territory,” the statement added.
The latest attack comes weeks after two women were found dead in separate locations in Abuja in incidents suspected to be linked to one-chance criminal gangs.
One of the victims, Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, was killed after reportedly boarding a vehicle home from work on January 3, 2026.
Her body was later dumped and discovered by the roadside.
The killing drew condemnation from the FCT council of the nurses’ association, which described it as not only an attack on the nursing profession but “an assault on healthcare workers and humanity at large.”
On the same day, another woman, Princess Ochigbo, was found lifeless at a different location in Abuja under circumstances also suspected to be linked to one-chance operations.
Investigations and previous reports have shown that criminals often pose as commercial drivers, lure unsuspecting passengers into vehicles, rob them and, in some cases, assault or abandon them along isolated roads.
Security analysts have linked the continued prevalence of the crime to gaps in organised public transportation within the capital. The decline in operations of the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company Limited (AUMTCO), alongside insufficient commercial buses, has forced many residents to rely on unregistered taxis and private vehicles, especially during off-peak hours.
Reacting to the earlier killing, the nurses’ association had urged authorities to strengthen security around hospitals and major junctions and to provide safe and organised transport options for healthcare workers on shift duty.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M