The Elegant Nurses Forum has condemned the rape and murder of Miss Chinwendu Achumba, a student nurse at the College of Nursing Sciences, Umuadara Umulogho, Imo State, describing the killing as “barbaric wickedness” and calling for the immediate prosecution of all those responsible.
Achumba, who was enrolled in a nursing speciality course, was reportedly raped and killed inside her room by suspected criminals who forcefully broke into her residence. The incident has sparked outrage across the Nigerian nursing community.
“The leadership and members of the Elegant Nurses Forum received with deep shock, pain and anger the heartbreaking and gruesome murder of Miss Chinwendu Achumba,” the group said in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Nurse Thomas Abiodun Olamide. “Such barbaric wickedness against an innocent young woman is not only evil but a direct reflection of the worsening insecurity and moral collapse currently threatening lives across Nigeria.”
The Forum directed sharp criticism at both the Imo State Government and the Federal Government, accusing them of failing to protect citizens, particularly women and female students.
“Nigeria is gradually becoming unsafe, especially for the girl child and women generally,” the statement read. “Female students now live in fear, while young professionals continue to become victims of violent crimes due to the negligence and inefficiency of those entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the people.”
The group also used the occasion to highlight what it described as the broader neglect of the nursing profession, stating that nurses remain “among the most humiliated and neglected professionals under the current dispensation.”
“It is heartbreaking that a promising Nurse whose dream was to save lives had her own life cut short in such a cruel and painful manner,” the Forum said.
The Elegant Nurses Forum issued a seven-point demand to the government and security agencies. The group called for the immediate prosecution of all individuals connected to the crime, insisting that “justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done publicly and transparently.” It also demanded full government sponsorship of Achumba’s burial by the Imo State Government “as a mark of honour to her sacrifice and aspirations as a healthcare professional.”
The Forum further demanded that the deceased be immortalised by naming a government facility, hostel, or public structure after her, and that financial compensation be paid to her family, acknowledging that “no amount of money can erase the pain, trauma and irreplaceable loss.”
The group also pressed for the construction of secure hostel facilities for nursing students and other tertiary institution students across the state to reduce reliance on unsafe off-campus accommodation, improved security surveillance around schools and student residential areas, and stronger laws and stricter punishment against rape, gender-based violence, and crimes against women in Nigeria.
The Forum also issued a pointed warning to law enforcement agencies. “We call on security agencies to avoid any attempt to sweep this matter under the carpet,” the statement said. “The Nigerian people are watching, and the Nursing profession is watching. The blood of innocent citizens must stop flowing because of governmental failure and institutional weakness.”
The group expressed solidarity with Achumba’s family, friends, colleagues, and fellow students, and called on Nigerians to keep demanding accountability from those in power.
The statement was signed by Nurse Thomas Abiodun Olamide, National Coordinator of the Elegant Nurses Forum. #Securitynewsalert.com
