TheCable

Chinedu Asadu, a journalist with TheCable, has been receiving threatening messages over his investigative story on quackery in Akwa Ibom hospitals.

Asadu had gone undercover to expose how in different hospitals in Akwa Ibom train and employ unqualified nurses, under the guise of an auxiliary nursing programme.

He found that hospitals often allow the trainees to directly manage and administer drugs to unsuspecting patients, thereby endangering their lives.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) told TheCable such practices amount to quackery and vowed to shut down such hospitals.

But since the first part of the investigative project was published on Thursday last week, two of the hospitals have been repeatedly calling the reporter’s phone line.

“Sometimes I receive calls more than 30 times a day from one of the hospitals,” Asadu said.

“One of the hospitals,  Our Lady of Lourdes’ Infirmary, located in Uyo, the state capital, went as far as telling me that the will find me in any part of the world I go to.

“The direct phone line of Daniel Ngang, the hospital manager, has contacted me directly, with at least five other lines calling at the same time.”

Checks revealed that among those calling are Edikan Olof, a current student enrolled in the hospital’s programme, as well as some members of staff.

Messaging via his line – 0817 624 4831 – Ngang once told the reporter: “Black animal, fraudster, we will search for you in any part of the globe spiritually.”

In another instance, he sent a message which read, “Early 6 feet await you soon.”

Some of his other messages read: “The gods of the land will soon locate you, wait for spiritual slap; It wouldn’t be well with you in this life”, “Your cup will soon full.”

TheCable had contacted all indicted hospitals for their response, but none of them responded except Milestone Specialist Hospital whose founder who denied running such a programme, claiming instead that “we do six weeks online Strengthening Community Health Workers Programme.”