Psychiatrists Demand Justice, Compensation For Murdered Enugu Consultant

The Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), Monday, decried the murder of Dr Andrew Orovwigho, a consultant psychiatrist at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu.

APN described Orovwigho’s killing as “heinous” and “colossal” to Nigeria’s mental health community.

The association made its position known through its Secretary-General, Professor Kingsley Okonoda. APN charged concerned authorities to ensure that justice was done by bringing the late doctor’s killers to book.

It was gathered that the deceased was kidnapped from his residence in Enugu on 30 December 2025, and was found alive the next day at a sand evacuation site where he was dumped by his kidnappers. He was rushed to hospital where he died on 2 January 2026 while receiving treatment, APN said.

According to the association, Dr Orovwigho was “a brilliant and passionate psychiatrist, deeply committed to patient care, teaching, mentorship, and professional excellence.”

It was gathered that Mr Orovwigho was called by a yet-to-be identified person to attend to an emergency at his house when he was whisked away.

Upon his arrival at his residence to attend to the acclaimed emergency, he was confronted by three armed men in a tricycle, APN said, adding that the deceased was shot in the knee. He was driven away in his vehicle and dumped at a sand evacuation site far from Enugu town, the group said.

It explained that the deceased sustained additional gunshot wounds to his shoulder, forearm and lower limb, adding that the attackers allegedly contacted a member of the household he had visited earlier, claiming they had been paid to kill him.

APN stated that the late doctor was alive until the early hours of 31 December 2025 when a sand loader discovered him and alerted security personnel. He was rushed to the hospital, but despite emergency treatment and resuscitation efforts, he died on 2 January 2026, APN said.

APN regretted Orovwigho’s death. It said, “We are barely 150 psychiatrists serving a population of over 200 million Nigerians. This reprehensible act is not only a violation of natural justice — it is a direct assault on the medical profession and the Nigerian healthcare system.”

The group demanded justice and compensation for the bereaved family, warning that failure to meet its demands would force it to take “all legitimate and lawful actions necessary to protect its members and defend the sanctity of psychiatric practice in Nigeria.”

The association thanked Gov Peter Mbah of Enugu State for convening a security meeting on the matter at the instance of the Nigerian Medical Association, particularly its Enugu State branch.

It however warned that, “This matter is not closed. We will not relent until justice is secured for our brutally murdered colleague and appropriate compensation provided to his family.”