By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), FCT Council, has condemned in strong terms the brutal killing of one of its members, Nurse Chinemerem Pascalina Chuwumeziem, who was in active service at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abuja, describing the incident as a heinous crime against the nursing profession and humanity at large.
According to the association, the deceased nurse closed from her afternoon duty on Friday, 3rd January 2026, after spending the day rendering selfless healthcare services and saving lives.
Thereafter, she boarded a commercial vehicle on her way home within the Federal Capital Territory. Tragically, she never arrived at her destination.
Subsequently, her lifeless body was discovered dumped in a most inhumane and disturbing manner, confirming fears that the young nurse had been violently attacked and murdered.
The shocking discovery has since thrown the healthcare community, particularly nurses in the FCT, into deep mourning.
Reacting to the incident in a statement signed by its Chairman, Comrade Jama D. Medan, NANNM expressed profound sorrow, outrage and total condemnation of what it described as a wicked and senseless killing.
The association noted that the murder of Nurse Chinemerem was not only an attack on an innocent healthcare worker but also a direct assault on the nursing profession and society as a whole.
Furthermore, NANNM stressed that the incident has once again exposed the alarming level of insecurity faced daily by nurses and other healthcare workers, especially while commuting to and from duty.
According to the association, nurses leave their homes every day to save lives, yet many now do so with uncertainty over whether they will return alive to their families.
In view of this, the association called on the entire security architecture in the Federal Capital Territory, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to immediately carry out a thorough, transparent and professional investigation into the circumstances surrounding the nurse’s death. It also demanded that those responsible for the crime be identified and brought to justice without delay.
NANNM also urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyisome Wike, to take urgent steps to strengthen security around all hospitals in the FCT, as well as at major junctions where nurses and other healthcare workers board vehicles, particularly during early morning and late-night shifts.
The association further recommended the provision of safe and organised transportation for nurses to and from their places of work in order to prevent further loss of innocent lives.
The association also extended its heartfelt condolences to the immediate family of the deceased nurse, the management of the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja, and nurses across the FCT and Nigeria, describing the loss as painful and irreparable.
NANNM stated that it stands in solidarity with the bereaved family and prayed for the strength and fortitude needed to bear the devastating loss.
