A consultant neurosurgeon with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State, Dr. Tochukwu Mbanugo, has been abducted by gunmen.
According to reports from the hospital, the incident occurred around Omatha Junction, Uruagu, Nnewi, shortly after the doctor completed several complex neurosurgical operations, including a major brain tumour removal.
Confirming the development, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare described the kidnapping as “deeply troubling and unacceptable.”
In a statement signed by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, the government expressed concern over the attack, saying it represents a major threat to the nation’s health system.
“The abduction of Dr. Mbanugo, who had just finished saving lives through critical surgical procedures, is heartbreaking,” the ministry stated, adding that the abductors had since contacted some of his colleagues using his phone.
Authorities, including the Anambra State Police Command, Department of State Services (DSS), Anti-Kidnapping Squad, and State Vigilante Group, have been notified and are coordinating efforts to secure his release.
Dr. Salako noted that Nigeria currently has fewer than 150 practising neurosurgeons serving a population of over 220 million—far below the World Health Organization’s benchmark of one neurosurgeon per 100,000 people.
“An attack on a medical specialist is a direct assault on our collective wellbeing,” Salako warned, stressing that healthcare workers are “national assets who must be protected, not harmed.”
The Ministry called for intensified efforts by the Anambra State Government and security agencies to ensure Dr. Mbanugo’s immediate and safe return, pledging solidarity with his family, colleagues, and the neurosurgical community.