Pregnant women, children choke as EFCC fires teargas at protesters near FMC

2026-02-16 - 13:48

By Folarin Kehinde Panic erupted at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, on Monday morning after teargas allegedly fired by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to disperse protesters wafted into the hospital premises, leaving patients and caregivers gasping for breath. Vanguard gathered that the protesters had assembled at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi in solidarity with former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who was invited to be questioned by the anti-graft agency over alleged corruption linked to his tenure. El-Rufai reportedly arrived at the EFCC facility earlier in the day, accompanied by hundreds of supporters, a development that led to a heightened security presence in the area and heavy traffic congestion along the Jabi-Airport Road corridor. Trouble, however, began when operatives moved to disperse the crowd. Shortly after teargas canisters were discharged, fumes drifted towards the nearby Federal Medical Centre, causing distress among vulnerable patients, including pregnant women and children receiving treatment. Eyewitnesses described scenes of confusion as patients scrambled for safety within the hospital complex. Some were seen hurriedly covering their noses with face masks and pieces of cloth to shield themselves from the choking smoke. A pregnant woman who spoke to Vanguard during her antenatal visit recounted the ordeal. “Even inside the hospital, everyone was struggling to breathe. My eyes were filled with tears, I was coughing, and it wasn’t just me. We were running into each other in panic. It was not a good experience at all,” she said. She expressed concern over the proximity of the anti-graft agency’s headquarters to a major health facility, noting that the discharge of teargas so close to sick patients posed serious health risks. “It’s not a good option at all, especially in a place where there are sick people, pregnant women and children,” she added. Vanguard recalls that El-Rufai had earlier resisted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport last week, an incident that further heightened political tensions surrounding the ongoing investigation. As of press time, the EFCC had yet to issue an official statement on the incident or address concerns over the impact of the teargas on patients at the medical facility. Vanguard News