Medical doctors in Lagos State, under the umbrella of the Nigerian Medical Association and the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners, yesterday, staged a rare joint protest against what they described as persistent harassment, intimidation, and unlawful arrests by government agencies, especially the police.
The protesting physicians marched from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja to the Lagos State Police Command headquarters, carrying placards with various messages as they demanded an end to what they called the worsening treatment of medical professionals.
The demonstration, tagged “Protest Against Harassment of Doctors,” drew attention to growing tension between healthcare workers and law enforcement authorities.
Speaking to journalists during the protest, ANPMP Chairman, Dr. Jonathan Esegine, said the action marked a significant moment in the history of medical practice in the state and was necessary to prevent a breakdown in healthcare services.
He said, “This is a gathering of historical importance because, in recent times, this has not happened. Like the African proverb says, the rabbit does not run in the daytime unless something is pursuing it. Something is pursuing us.”
Esegine warned that the alleged increasing intimidation of doctors could have far-reaching consequences for both the medical profession and society.
According to him, doctors are increasingly being subjected to arbitrary treatment by security agencies.
“Doctors are being hounded at will, abducted from their practices, harassed, intimidated, maltreated and imprisoned without just cause,” he alleged, adding that the police, particularly the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Lagos, were the worst offenders.
He further accused the police of overstepping their bounds in handling medical-related issues, saying,“They label doctors with offences without charges or trial. They act as accuser, prosecutor and judge at the same time,” he said.
Esegine also lamented situations where doctors are removed from duty posts while attending to critically ill patients, leading to disruption of services and putting lives at risk.
“There have been instances where doctors are whisked away from patients and detained for days. While that happens, services are shut down, and patients are denied care,” he added.
He cautioned that such developments were forcing doctors into what he described as “defensive medicine,” where fear of arrest influences clinical decisions.
“When faced with emergencies, a doctor may begin to hesitate, asking: ‘If this goes wrong, will I be arrested and labelled a murderer?’ That is dangerous for society,” he said.
The ANPMP chairman also emphasised that medical professionals are not infallible and that adverse outcomes, including death, can occur even under proper care.
“We are not God. We can only care, only God guarantees life. Patients die everywhere in the world, even under the best medical care,” he said.
He maintained that only the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria has the legal mandate to investigate allegations of professional negligence against doctors, not the police.
Also speaking during the protest, Lagos State NMA Chairman, Dr. Babajide Saheed, condemned what he described as coordinated harassment of doctors by multiple agencies, as well as public trial through social media.
“We are not happy. Doctors are being harassed by the police and other agencies, and even vilified on social media without proper investigation,” he said.
Saheed called on journalists to ensure fairness and verification before publishing reports involving alleged medical negligence.
The protest was largely triggered by the recent detention of a doctor and a nurse in Lekki following the deaths of two critically ill children who were suffering from severe gastroenteritis.
Esegine explained that the children arrived at the hospital in a critical condition.
“The victims were brought in severely dehydrated and septic,” he said, noting that despite medical intervention, both children died.
He criticised the response of authorities to the incident, saying it bypassed due process.
“Instead of due process, the doctor and nurse were detained for about a week. That is what jolted us into action,” he said.
