The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has expressed deep concern over the abduction of Dr. Tochukwu Mbanugo, a Consultant Neurosurgeon with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State, who was kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Thursday, October 30, 2025.
In a statement signed by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, the Ministry said it was “profoundly disturbed” by the incident and called for urgent action to secure the doctor’s release.
Reports from NAUTH indicate that Dr. Mbanugo was attacked around Omatha Junction, Uruagu, Nnewi, while returning home after a long day of performing multiple lifesaving neurosurgical procedures, including the removal of a complex brain tumour. His abduction, the statement noted, occurred at a time when he was returning from serving humanity.
According to the Ministry, the abductors have reportedly made contact with some of Dr. Mbanugo’s colleagues using his mobile phone. The case has since been reported to the Anambra State Police Command, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Anti-Kidnapping Squad, and local vigilante groups. The management of NAUTH, in collaboration with security agencies, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), and other stakeholders, is working to ensure his safe return.
The statement highlighted the critical shortage of neurosurgeons in Nigeria, with fewer than 150 practising specialists serving a population of over 220 million — far below the World Health Organization’s benchmark of one neurosurgeon per 100,000 people. This, it said, makes every specialist indispensable, stressing that “an attack on one specialist doctor is a direct assault on the nation’s health security and a threat to our collective wellbeing.”
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The Ministry strongly condemned the abduction and all forms of violence against healthcare workers, describing doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals as “national assets” who must be protected, not harmed.
It urged the Anambra State Government and all relevant security agencies to intensify efforts to locate Dr. Mbanugo and ensure his immediate, safe, and unconditional release.
“We stand firmly in solidarity with his family, colleagues, the NAUTH management, the neurosurgical community, the NMA, and the entire health sector at this painful time,” Dr. Salako said. “The Ministry remains committed to strengthening the safety and security of health workers across Nigeria.”
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