By Our Reporter
The management of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) has reacted to the controversy surrounding the recent presence of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the hospital, describing many reports circulating online as misleading and inaccurate.
Addressing journalists during a press briefing on Wednesday, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. EmemAbasi Bassey, stated that UUTH maintains a healthy working relationship with both the EFCC and the Nigeria Police Force, stressing that the hospital is not in conflict with any security agency.
According to him, UUTH remains the only publicly accessible tertiary healthcare institution in Akwa Ibom State and attends to between 600 and 800 patients daily. He expressed concern that the incident had disrupted hospital operations and affected healthcare services.
Prof. Bassey explained that the issue originated from a letter sent by the EFCC on April 20, 2026, requesting verification of a medical report linked to a suspect under investigation. He said the hospital officially received the correspondence on April 21 and immediately directed it to the relevant department for necessary action.
The CMD denied claims that the hospital ignored an earlier letter allegedly written by the EFCC on March 11, insisting that such correspondence never got to the management.
He further disclosed that upon reviewing the file connected to the case, hospital authorities discovered irregularities and concluded that the medical report being circulated was not genuine.
According to him, officials found what appeared to be a fake patient file lacking proper hospital records and documentation, suggesting possible collaboration between external individuals and insiders within the system.
Prof. Bassey called on the EFCC and the police to investigate the origin of the forged report and identify those involved in producing or facilitating it.
The CMD also dismissed reports claiming EFCC operatives came to arrest top management officials of the hospital, clarifying that the operatives went directly to the office of the doctor responsible for handling the authentication process.
He revealed that before the operatives arrived, the doctor had already prepared a preliminary report indicating that the medical document under investigation was not authentic.
While acknowledging the role of security agencies, Prof. Bassey criticized the manner in which the operation was allegedly conducted within the hospital premises. He argued that proper procedures and communication protocols were not observed before armed operatives entered the facility.
According to him, the situation became tense after hospital staff questioned the identities of the operatives and resisted attempts to take away a senior doctor without presenting an arrest warrant.
He noted that the development caused panic within the hospital environment, as workers and patients reportedly saw armed men forcefully dragging a professor out of his office.
Prof. Bassey said he immediately contacted the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police after receiving reports of armed men operating within the hospital without prior notice to management.
The CMD lamented that the situation later degenerated into chaos, with allegations of tear gas, gunshots and destruction within the hospital premises, leading to the partial shutdown of operations.
He maintained that the entire crisis could have been avoided if standard procedures had been followed from the onset.
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