Tension erupted on Tuesday at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) in Akwa Ibom state after operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stormed the facility.
The operation reportedly led to the arrest of Eyo Ekpe, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery and deputy chairman of the hospital’s medical advisory committee.
According to reports, the anti-graft officials arrived at the hospital in two saloon vehicles and a tinted bus, with some operatives masked while others wore EFCC-branded jackets.
Videos shared online showed patients, workers and visitors fleeing the premises amid the confusion.
However, in a statement released after the incident, the EFCC explained that operatives from its Uyo zonal directorate visited the hospital to verify a medical report submitted by a suspect currently facing trial at the federal high court in Uyo.
The commission said the suspect is being prosecuted for allegedly defrauding several microfinance banks, including the University of Uyo Microfinance Bank.
“The suspect had presented a medical report which required authentication by the UUTH management,” the statement said.
The EFCC disclosed that it had earlier sent letters dated March 11 and April 20, 2026, to the hospital management requesting clarification on the medical report but received no reply.
According to the agency, an investigating officer later visited the hospital to follow up on the request without success.
“As a last resort, operatives of the Commission visited the Chief Medical Director of the hospital on Tuesday to make further enquiries,” the EFCC stated.
The commission further alleged that its operatives were “locked in with a false alarm and subjected to unprovoked attack by misguided staff of the facility who pelted them with stones and other dangerous objects.”
The anti-graft agency also claimed that the hospital’s chief medical director ordered the closure of the gates, preventing its officials from leaving despite police intervention.
“In spite of the hostility and provocation, there was no breakdown of law and order as the operatives exercised restraint,” the statement added.
The EFCC warned that refusal to cooperate with lawful investigations could amount to obstruction, which it described as a criminal offence.