A consultant neurosurgeon at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Dr. Tochukwu Mbanugo, has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Anambra State, drawing strong condemnation from the Federal Government.
According to reports from NAUTH, the senior doctor was attacked and abducted near Omatha Junction, Uruagu, Nnewi, shortly after performing several high-risk neurosurgical procedures — including the successful removal of a complex brain tumour.
In a statement on Monday, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, described the abduction as “deeply troubling, unacceptable, and a threat to Nigeria’s health security.”
“Dr. Mbanugo was taken at the very moment he should have been safest — returning home after saving lives. This is a profound assault on a national asset,” the ministry said.
The abductors were said to have contacted some of his colleagues using his phone. His disappearance has since been reported to the Anambra State Police Command, the DSS, the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, and local vigilante groups.
NAUTH management is working closely with security agencies, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), and other stakeholders in efforts to secure his release.
Dr. Salako warned that the incident comes at a time when Nigeria’s health workforce is dangerously overstretched.
“Nigeria has fewer than 150 neurosurgeons serving over 220 million people — roughly one neurosurgeon for every 1.9 million citizens, far below the WHO recommendation of one per 100,000,” he noted.
He stressed that attacking a medical specialist is “a direct attack on the nation’s collective wellbeing.”
The Ministry condemned all forms of violence against healthcare workers, describing them as essential national assets who work under extreme pressure to save lives. “They must be protected, not hunted,” Salako said.
The Federal Government urged the Anambra State Government and security operatives to intensify search efforts and ensure the doctor’s immediate, unconditional release.
“We stand in solidarity with his family, NAUTH, the NMA, the neurosurgical community, and the entire health sector during this distressing period,”
the statement added.
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