‘Two Fighting’: Nurses Challenge LASUTH Over Alleged Assault of Colleague

A dispute that began during the treatment of an emergency patient at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital has escalated into a demand for investigation after a nurses’ group accused a doctor of physically assaulting a colleague and questioned the hospital’s handling of the incident.

A dispute that began during the treatment of an emergency patient at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, has escalated into a demand for investigation after a nurses’ forum accused a doctor of allegedly assaulting a colleague.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the Elegant Nurses Forum, ENF, is demanding an immediate, impartial and transparent investigation into the alleged incident involving a nurse identified as Nurse Kareem and a doctor identified as Dr Salaudeen.

According to an account released by the nurses’ group, Kareem was on night duty at LASUTH’s Surgical Emergency Unit on Friday, September 25, 2026. At about 4am on Saturday, September 26, an emergency patient was brought into the unit, with Kareem reportedly involved in the patient’s triage.

The forum said an altercation subsequently developed between Kareem and Dr Salaudeen during the emergency response. ENF alleged that Kareem later left the area and went to the Nurses’ Room to call the attention of a senior colleague.

The group claimed that the doctor followed her to the Nurses’ Room, where the confrontation allegedly became physical.

According to the nurses’ forum, Dr Salaudeen allegedly pushed the door against Kareem and became physical with her. The group said the nurse sustained a bruise to her left hand and later complained of chest and back pain. She was subsequently admitted for medical attention and reportedly discharged on Monday, September 28.

Nurses challenge ‘two fighting’ account

The dispute has taken a wider turn following the alleged response of the hospital management.

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ValidViewNetwork gathered from the nurses’ account that LASUTH management was informed about the incident, but ENF alleged that the hospital subsequently stopped taking responsibility for Kareem’s medical expenses and characterised the matter as “two fighting.”

The nurses’ forum has rejected that characterisation, insisting that the circumstances surrounding the confrontation should be independently established rather than dismissed as an ordinary disagreement between two healthcare workers.

ENF is consequently asking for the preservation and review of CCTV footage covering the Surgical Emergency Unit, Nurses’ Room and surrounding corridors during the period of the alleged incident.

The group also wants relevant duty rosters, emergency records, triage documents, security logs and incident reports preserved as part of the investigation.

Forum demands witness statements

The nurses are further calling for statements from healthcare workers, security personnel and other people who may have witnessed the incident.

ENF wants Kareem protected from intimidation, retaliation or victimisation while the matter is being investigated. It is also demanding appropriate medical and psychological support for the nurse, as well as clarification over responsibility for her medical expenses.

The forum wants LASUTH management to explain the circumstances surrounding the reported description of the matter as “two fighting.”

It also wants appropriate administrative and professional disciplinary procedures followed if an investigation establishes misconduct.

ValidViewNetwork can confirm that the nurses’ demands centre largely on evidence and due process, with the group specifically seeking CCTV footage and documentary records that could help establish what happened during the early-morning confrontation.

Protest threat

The controversy could now extend beyond LASUTH. ENF has reportedly called for a peaceful protest to the Lagos State Governor’s Office within 48 hours, while indicating that nurses may consider further lawful collective action if they believe the matter is not satisfactorily addressed.

The nurses are also calling for a clearer mechanism for resolving disputes between doctors and nurses during emergency situations.

The demand comes amid broader concerns over working conditions and professional relations within Nigeria’s healthcare system.

However, the specific allegations against Dr Salaudeen remain allegations and have not been established by an independent investigation.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the evidence surrounding the incident, including CCTV footage, medical records and witness accounts, could be central to determining what actually happened between the nurse and the doctor.

The immediate questions are therefore straightforward: What triggered the confrontation? What happened after Kareem left the emergency area? What occurred inside or around the Nurses’ Room?

And how did hospital management respond?Those questions should be answered by evidence rather than competing accounts.

For LASUTH, the matter now goes beyond an alleged confrontation between two members of staff. It has become a test of how allegations involving healthcare professionals are investigated, how workers are protected and how disputes are handled when they occur in the middle of emergency care.

ValidViewNetwork can confirm that the nurses’ forum is demanding that LASUTH allow an impartial investigation to determine the facts and establish responsibility where wrongdoing is proven.