By Milcah Tanimu
The Senate has taken a significant step by summoning the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Minister of Health, Ali Pate; and Federal Capital Territory counterpart, Nyesom Wike, regarding the tragic and preventable death of Ms. Greatness Olorunfemi at Maitama General Hospital.
Greatness became a victim of ‘one-chance’ robbers, who stabbed her and threw her out of a moving vehicle. Shockingly, the health facility allegedly denied her medical attention, citing the absence of a police report of the incident. This action contradicts the provisions of the Gunshots Act 2017.
The Senate’s decision to summon these officials came after Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, representing APC Cross River South, sponsored a motion. The Senate has entrusted its Health and Police committees with conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Greatness’s death and expects a report within two weeks.
Senator Ekpenyong highlighted that the Gunshots Act 2017 clearly states that “every hospital in Nigeria, whether public or private, shall accept or receive any person with a gunshot wound for immediate and adequate treatment, with or without Police clearance.” The act emphasizes that no gunshot victim should be denied treatment, regardless of an initial monetary deposit.
Senator Ekpenyong also called for an amendment to Section 13 of the Act, suggesting that the current penalty of N50,000 or five years imprisonment for violators is inadequate considering the loss of human lives.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio emphasized the importance of adhering to the provisions of the Gunshots Act 2017. He stressed that Greatness Olorunfemi’s death could have been prevented if the existing laws had been followed. Akpabio urged both the Police and healthcare providers in the country to uphold the Act’s provisions to prevent such tragic and avoidable deaths in the future.
