A consultant neuro-psychiatrist at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Enugu, Dr. Andrew Orovwigho, has died after being kidnapped and shot by unknown assailants, raising fresh concerns over the safety of medical professionals in Nigeria.
It was gathered on Friday that Dr. Orovwigho was abducted on December 30, 2025, directly in front of his residence, during which he was reportedly shot.
He was later released by his captors on January 1, 2026.
However, in a tragic turn of events, the doctor was allegedly attacked again shortly after regaining his freedom.
Sources said that Dr. Orovwigho was shot a second time and left by the roadside.
“A good Samaritan found him and rushed him to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. Despite medical intervention, he succumbed to his injuries on January 2, 2026,” one of the sources said.
Dr. Orovwigho was widely regarded by colleagues as a committed mental health specialist who dedicated his professional life to caring for vulnerable patients.
While details surrounding the incident remain unclear, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Enugu State chapter, Dr. Sunny Ken Okafor, confirmed the development in a telephone conversation with reporters.
Although he said he was unable to provide further details as he was on transit, Dr. Okafor disclosed that an emergency meeting of doctors in Enugu has been scheduled for next Wednesday to deliberate on the incident.
Meanwhile, medical professionals have expressed deepening anxiety over what they described as an increasingly hostile environment for healthcare workers nationwide, with kidnappings and violent attacks becoming more frequent.
“Doctors and nurses are now endangered species,” a medical professional said.
“This is frightening and unacceptable.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Enugu, had yet to issue an official statement.
