Members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) on Tuesday protested the killing of their member identified as Otote Osaikhuomwan.
The aggrieved doctors said the protest, which led to a halt in activities at the hospital, was occasioned by the rising insecurity trend that led to the death of their colleague, a 36-year-old physician.
Osaikhuomwan, a resident doctor in the department of Ophthalmology, was reportedly shot dead on Monday morning at his residence in Benin City.
Elamah Ikpemimoghena, president of ARD, during the protest in Benin City, called on relevant authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended.
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Ikpemimoghena identified insecurity as one of the factors responsible for the migration of medical practitioners, saying “This is a very unfortunate incident, it came to us as a rude shock and it boils down to the general insecurity in the state and in the country at large.
“Something that we have always complained about, something that has made a lot of our colleagues reconsider their stance in working in Nigeria. Insecurity is gaining a very scary trend and that has led to a lot of brain drain, a lot of our members have left the country just because of insecurity.”
Kontongs Bello, spokesperson, Edo State police command, who confirmed the killing, said no suspect has been arrested yet, adding that they are working to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death with a view to arresting the perpetrators.
