The Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) has demanded adequate compensation and structured support for the bereaved family of its slain colleague, alongside a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture to safeguard healthcare professionals and citizens.
In a statement signed by its President, Dr. Veronica Nyamali, and Secretary-General, Prof. Kingsley Mayowa Okonoda, the Association warned that failure to meet its demands would compel it to take all lawful measures necessary to protect its members and defend psychiatric practice in Nigeria.
According to the statement, Dr. Andrew Orovwigho, a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu (FNHE), was kidnapped from his residence on Tuesday, December 30, 2025.
He was later found where he had been abandoned on December 31 by unidentified assailants.
After being taken to hospital for treatment, he died on January 2, 2026.The Association described Dr. Orovwigho as a brilliant and passionate psychiatrist committed to patient care, teaching, mentorship, and professional excellence. It characterized his death as “a colossal blow to the mental health community in Nigeria.”
Nyamali noted that the deceased was an asset to the profession, vibrant, dedicated, and full of promise, whose aspirations for his family and for psychiatry in Nigeria were tragically cut short.
“We stand in solidarity with his family, loved ones, colleagues, and friends during this painful time,” she stated.
The statement detailed that Dr. Orovwigho had visited a family friend within the Enugu metropolis when he received a call requesting that he return home to attend to what appeared to be a private patient. He left with a promise to return.
At his residence, he was reportedly accosted by three armed men in a tricycle.
He sustained gunshot wounds and injuries to his shoulder, forearm, and right lower limb before being taken away and later abandoned at a sand evacuation site outside Enugu town.
A sand loader eventually transported him to the hospital.
The attackers allegedly contacted a member of the household he had earlier visited, claiming they had been paid to kill him.
Expressing deep concern, the APN President emphasized that Nigeria’s mental health workforce remains critically understaffed, with many professionals emigrating due to insecurity and poor working conditions.
“We are barely 150 psychiatrists serving over 200 million Nigerians.
Why should any of us be killed in such a barbaric manner?” she asked, describing the incident as not only a violation of natural justice but a direct assault on the medical profession and the healthcare system.
The Association stressed that the recurring violence against healthcare workers nationwide is alarming and unacceptable.
It maintained that physical aggression against doctors is unlawful, dangerous, and must be decisively addressed.
APN warned that psychiatrists in Nigeria will not tolerate the murder of their members and insisted the crime must not be met with silence or indifference.
It called on relevant authorities in Enugu State to ensure that those responsible are identified, apprehended, and prosecuted without delay.