The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has condemned what it described as systemic negligence and institutional failure that led to the tragic and preventable deaths of Officer Akpan Blessing of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Somtochukwu “Sommie” Maduagwu, an anchor with Arise TV.
Both women lost their lives not only to violent attacks but also to medical negligence, RULAAC said, highlighting a disturbing collapse of governance, healthcare, and security in Nigeria.
On July 22, 2025, Officer Akpan was stabbed outside her Abuja residence. Despite being rushed to several hospitals, she was reportedly denied treatment because she did not present a police report. She later died without receiving adequate medical care.
Similarly, on September 29, 2025, Sommie Maduagwu sustained injuries while fleeing armed robbers in Abuja. She was taken to Maitama District Hospital but was also allegedly refused immediate treatment due to paperwork requirements.
“These cases reflect a horrifyingly familiar pattern where bureaucracy and neglect are placed above saving lives,” RULAAC said.
The group recalled that the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017, mandates all hospitals, public and private, to provide urgent care to victims of gunshot wounds and other life-threatening injuries without demanding a police report or identification. The persistent disregard of this law, RULAAC argued, is illegal, unethical, and has once again cost innocent Nigerians their lives.
Amid escalating insecurity across Abuja and other parts of the country, RULAAC warned that Nigerians are “being killed twice, first by criminals, and then by the very institutions entrusted to protect and save them.”
The organisation called on the Federal Government and relevant authorities to:
- Enforce strict compliance with the Gunshot Act, sanctioning hospitals and medical personnel who fail to comply with it.
- Urge the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to investigate the conduct of the medical personnel involved and apply disciplinary measures where negligence is established.
- Direct the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to remind all hospitals that demanding police reports before treatment in emergencies is unlawful.
- Mandate the Federal Ministry of Health to establish a Victims Compensation Fund and independent oversight for accountability in cases of medical negligence.
- Strengthen security efforts through improved patrols and community policing to counter rising violent crime.
“As Nigeria prepares to mark 65 years of independence on October 1, 2025, independence without accountability and the protection of citizens’ lives is hollow. Rolling out the drums while citizens die avoidable deaths in hospitals and on the streets is not a celebration; it is a shame,” said Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of RULAAC.
The organisation reiterated its demand for accountability, reforms, and urgent measures to ensure no Nigerian in distress is ever again abandoned to die in a waiting room.
