Wednesday, January 7, 2026 - The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Federal Health Institutions Sector (NANNM-FHI), on Tuesday, said it was heartbroken over the murder of Nurse Chinemerem Chukwumeziem of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja.
In a statement, the National Secretary of NANNM-FHI, Enya
Osinachi, condemned the killing and called for urgent action to protect nurses
facing rising insecurity across the country.
Osinachi explained that the nurse had completed her
afternoon shift – during which she cared for patients with devotion – and
boarded public transport to return home, but fell victim to a violent criminal
attack just days into the new year.
Osinachi noted that nurses were not only essential
caregivers, but also primary breadwinners, emphasizing that when a nurse was
killed, the nation lost patients, morale and public trust, urging decisive
action to ensure such tragedy became a turning point for healthcare workers’
safety.
The association described the killing as a grim reflection
of worsening insecurity threatening healthcare workers, particularly nurses who
must endure long shifts and unsafe commutes after duty hours in various
Nigerian cities.
While expressing solidarity with the victim’s family and
colleagues, NANNM-FHI stressed that sympathy was insufficient without concrete
government measures to guarantee the safety of nurses in hospitals, clinics and
communities.
The association urged authorities to conduct a thorough
investigation, arrest the perpetrators and improve security around hospitals
and transit routes.
It also called for the provision of staff transport and the
formal recognition of nurses as “high-risk” essential workers through policy
reforms, adequate funding and law enforcement.
Furthermore, the body sought improved hazard allowances,
life insurance, welfare support for families and regular security risk
assessments to prevent further loss of lives within the health sector.
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