The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Lagos State Council, has denied media reports that one of its members was arrested for injecting late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
Recall that on September 14, Mohbad’s father, Joseph Aloba, had said the singer died on September 12 at a Lagos hospital after receiving an injection administered by an auxiliary nurse.
Nollywood actress, Iyabo Ojo, in a video shared via her Instagram page on Wednesday night, disclosed that police arrested the nurse who treated Mohbad before his death.
But in a statement on Saturday, the State Secretary of the council, Toba Odumosu, said the individual arrested for injecting the late singer is not a registered nurse.
The association, while it fully supports the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death, it urged the media to verify the qualifications and professional status of individuals before labelling them as healthcare professionals.
The statement reads: “The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Lagos State Council, expresses its deepest condolences to the family and associates of the late musician, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as we mourn his tragic passing.
“We fully support the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death and urge the relevant authorities to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of justice for him.
“However, we must stress the importance of professionalism in reporting and conducting this investigation. NANNM is closely monitoring the situation with keen interest. Our preliminary investigations indicate that the individual reportedly taken into custody by the police for providing care to Mohbad is not a registered Nurse.
“We emphasise the critical need to verify the qualifications and professional status of individuals before labelling them as healthcare professionals.”
The council said it is regrettable that Nigeria’s healthcare system faces significant regulatory challenges, leading to the presence of unqualified individuals performing medical roles they are not trained for.
It added: “In Nigeria, to be recognised as a Nurse, one must complete a rigorous five-year Bachelor of Nursing Science program at a university, followed by an additional year of internship. Alternatively, one can undergo training at an accredited School/College of Nursing and become registered and licensed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
“We wish to clarify that the term ‘Auxiliary Nurse’ has no place within Nigeria’s healthcare system or its laws. An individual is either a qualified Nurse or an unqualified individual performing tasks beyond their competence.
“Furthermore, we call on the investigating authorities and the media to exercise caution and accuracy in their reporting during this investigation. We will not tolerate any misrepresentation of Nurses and the Nursing profession. We demand that all media outlets that inaccurately reported the arrest of a Nurse take immediate corrective action to rectify their stories.”
