FMC Abeokuta Plans Transfer of Worker Accused by Student Nurses

The Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Abeokuta, is reportedly considering the transfer of a male staff member accused of inappropriate sexual conduct involving student nurses to its Joga-Orile annex in Ogun State.

The development has raised questions among people familiar with the matter, particularly over whether moving the staff member away from the main hospital could affect the handling of the allegations.

The staff member has been identified in reports as Ajayi Adebowale Alaba, a porter at the hospital. The allegations involve students of the Ogun State College of Nursing Sciences who were undertaking clinical training at FMC Abeokuta.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the proposed transfer itself does not establish that any allegation has been proven, while concerns about the move should also not be presented as proof of a cover-up.

WHAT THE STUDENT NURSES REPORTED

The matter began with complaints by two nursing students over separate incidents said to have occurred at the hospital’s Male Medical Ward on September 23 and 24, 2026.

The Student Union Government of the Ogun State College of Nursing documented the complaints in a report dated September 25 and submitted it to FMC Abeokuta management.

Copies were also reportedly sent to the Provost and Director of the School of Nursing.

According to the students’ accounts contained in the report, one of the incidents involved Okonkwo Goodness Chinecherem, who was on night duty at the Male Medical Ward.

She alleged that she was sleeping during her break when a male porter identified as Ajayi approached her and touched her without her consent.

Furthermore, she alleged that he attempted another form of sexual contact involving her genital area.The student reportedly described the experience as frightening and emotionally distressing and said it made her feel unsafe in the clinical environment.

STUDENT SAYS COMPLAINT WAS ESCALATED

According to the students’ union account, Okonkwo reported the alleged incident to the Chief Nurse on duty.

When the Sectional Head resumed the following morning, the Chief Nurse reportedly informed him about the complaint.

A meeting was subsequently held involving the student, the Chief Nurse, the porter and another student who was said to have previously raised concerns about alleged inappropriate conduct involving the same worker. The parties were reportedly given an opportunity to explain their accounts.

The SUG report, as quoted by Fellow Nurses Africa, states that the porter allegedly accepted responsibility for his actions and pleaded with the student for forgiveness.

That claim remains part of the account presented by the students’ union and would require proper investigation before being treated as an established fact.

SECOND STUDENT MAKES SEPARATE ALLEGATION

The second complaint was made by Aminu Olulabikunmi, another student of the Ogun State College of Nursing. She said the incident occurred on September 23 at the same Male Medical Ward.

According to her account, she did not have a designated bed during her break period. She alleged that a male worker offered her his bed so she could rest while he slept elsewhere in the ward.

She said that while she was asleep, the worker later returned and lay beside her. She further alleged that he covered her body with a cloth before making an inappropriate sexual advance.

According to her account, she immediately stopped the alleged conduct and left the bed.

She reportedly told the SUG that the circumstances were particularly inappropriate because she had been asleep and was therefore in a vulnerable position.

SUG CALLS FOR FORMAL INVESTIGATION

Following the complaints, the students’ union called on FMC Abeokuta to conduct a formal and impartial investigation. The SUG requested that statements be obtained from the affected students, relevant hospital workers and anyone who might have information about the incidents.

It also called for the examination of available evidence, including duty rosters, ward records and security information. The union further requested measures to protect the students from intimidation, retaliation, victimisation or further inappropriate contact while the matter is being investigated.

The students’ representatives also called for better arrangements for students during night duty and break periods, stronger supervision and designated areas where student nurses can rest safely.

They requested clearer professional boundaries between porters and student nurses and called for appropriate support for the affected students.

WORKER GIVES UNCERTAIN RESPONSE

When contacted over the allegations, Ajayi did not directly confirm or deny them.

Accordingly, when asked whether the allegations were true, he gave an uncertain response.

He said: “Actually, it is something that… I can’t say it. I can’t say it. It has not happened either. But I don’t even know.”

He added: “Those girls have their own destinies, I can’t lie against them.” He also appealed for assistance. His response therefore did not amount to a clear admission or denial of the allegations.

WHY JOGA-ORILE TRANSFER IS RAISING QUESTIONS

SaharaReporters reported that people familiar with the matter were concerned that moving the staff member from the main FMC facility to the Joga-Orile annex could make scrutiny of the allegations more difficult.

One source described the proposed transfer as an attempt to shield the worker from scrutiny. That is the source’s allegation and has not been independently established.

The Joga-Orile facility is an FMC Abeokuta annex and forms part of the centre’s grassroots healthcare network. Publicly available records show that FMC Abeokuta has operated healthcare services at Joga-Orile for years.

The significance of the proposed move therefore goes beyond the question of where the worker may be posted. The central issue is whether any administrative decision concerning the accused worker will allow an independent process to establish what happened, protect the students involved and give the accused a fair opportunity to respond.

ACCUSED WORKER SAYS HEALTH ISSUE IS INVOLVED

Ajayi told SaharaReporters that discussions about his transfer were ongoing but linked the move to a health matter. He said he had been advised by people at the hospital to see a specialist.

When asked whether the specialist was a psychiatrist, he answered in the affirmative.He also said the industrial action had affected his ability to see the consultant. His explanation introduces another dimension to the proposed transfer, as he presented the move as connected to medical attention rather than solely to the allegations.

The hospital’s management has not, in the report available to ValidViewNetwork, publicly explained the reason for the proposed transfer or stated whether it is connected to the complaints.

A WIDER QUESTION OF STUDENT SAFETY

The allegations have brought renewed attention to the conditions under which nursing students undertake clinical training.

Clinical postings place students inside working hospital environments where they interact with doctors, nurses, porters, patients and other staff.

Students are also expected to undertake night duties and may require places to rest during long shifts. That makes clear reporting channels, supervision, safe rest arrangements and professional boundaries important parts of clinical training.

The SUG’s complaints therefore go beyond the allegations against one worker. They raise questions about how hospitals respond when students report inappropriate conduct and whether students feel adequately protected when the person accused is a member of hospital staff.

WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN NEXT

The allegations against Ajayi remain allegations and should be subjected to a proper investigation.

That process should establish what happened in each incident, whether there were witnesses or supporting records, what was reported to hospital officials, what action was initially taken and why any proposed transfer is being considered.

It should also ensure that the affected students are protected from retaliation while preserving the accused worker’s right to respond to the allegations.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the central concern at this stage is not whether the accused worker should be declared guilty or innocent in the media, but whether the complaints will receive a transparent and impartial investigation capable of establishing the facts.

As of publication, ValidViewNetwork has not found a public statement from FMC Abeokuta management explaining the proposed transfer or responding in detail to the students’ allegations.