The Federal Ministry of Health has expressed profound concern over the abduction of consultant neurosurgeon Tochukwu Mbanugo from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi in Anambra State.
In a statement signed by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, the ministry condemned the kidnapping as “a direct assault on the nation’s health security and a threat to our collective wellbeing”.
The statement noted that Dr Mbanugo was taken on October 30, 2025, while travelling from the hospital along the New Nnewi-Oba Road after an intense theatre session.
According to the ministry, the kidnappers later contacted some of his colleagues through his phone. The incident has been formally reported to the Anambra State Police Command, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police anti-kidnapping squad and the state vigilante structure. The hospital management is said to be working closely with security agencies, the Nigerian Medical Association and relevant stakeholders to expedite his safe release.
“The management of NAUTH is actively collaborating with security agencies, the Nigerian Medical Association and relevant stakeholders to expedite his safe return,” the statement reads.
“Nigeria currently counts fewer than 150 practising neurosurgeons for a population of over 220 million. Against the World Health Organisation benchmark of one neurosurgeon per 100,000 people, our ratio is roughly one per 1.9 million citizens.” The ministry’s statement underscored that “every specialist we have is invaluable.”
When a specialist like Dr Mbanugo is targeted, the implication is not just the safety of one individual – it touches on the capacity of the entire health system.
