The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Federal Health Institutions Sector (NANNM-FHI), on Tuesday expressed deep sorrow over the killing of Nurse Chinemerem Chukwumeziem of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja.
In a statement issued to reporters, the National Secretary of the association, Mr Enya Osinachi, condemned the murder and called for urgent action to protect nurses amid rising insecurity across the country.
Osinachi said the nurse had completed her afternoon shift, attended diligently to patients and boarded public transportation home, but never arrived at her destination, falling victim to a violent criminal attack just days into the new year.
According to him, the association views the killing as further evidence of worsening insecurity threatening healthcare workers, particularly nurses who endure long shifts and unsafe commutes after duty hours in many Nigerian cities.
NANNM-FHI condemned the act and expressed solidarity with the victim’s family and colleagues, stressing that sympathy alone was inadequate without concrete government measures to guarantee the safety of nurses nationwide.
The association urged relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, apprehend the perpetrators and strengthen security around hospitals and major routes used by healthcare workers. It also called for the provision of staff transportation and the recognition of nurses as high-risk essential workers through appropriate policy reforms, adequate funding and effective enforcement.
It further advocated improved hazard allowances, comprehensive life insurance, welfare support for bereaved families and regular security risk assessments to prevent further loss of nurses’ lives across public health facilities and communities.
Osinachi described nurses as essential caregivers and breadwinners, warning that the nation loses patients, morale and public trust when they are killed, and urged decisive action to ensure the incident becomes a turning point in protecting healthcare workers.
