A Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Ogun State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, Dr Nurudeen Adekunle, has denied allegations of slapping a male nursing student at the hospital last month, clarifying that he only asked the student to leave the operating theatre due to alleged rude behaviour.
The allegation had prompted the state chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives to stage a protest, calling for disciplinary action against the surgeon.
However, Adekunle described the claims as baseless, insisting he did not engage in any physical altercation.
He explained, “On my surgery day, I was preparing to operate on three patients and took the opportunity to teach the students present, both medical and nursing. During this time, a male nursing student acted rudely, though he later said it was a joke. I corrected him, stressing the importance of respect towards senior practitioners, especially in matters beyond his level.”
The surgeon added that his interaction with the student was purely a disciplinary measure.
“My hand was on his shoulder when I told him to leave the theatre, but I released him shortly after. Four days later, I began hearing rumours that I slapped him, which is completely untrue,” he said.
Adekunle also condemned the spread of misinformation, noting that some online accounts falsely reported he had slapped a female nurse. “The individual involved is a 21-year-old male nursing student. I believed I could correct him when he made a mistake, but I did not slap him,” he clarified.
According to Adekunle, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director conducted an investigation and found no evidence to support the allegations.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association in Ogun State, Dr Luqman Ogunjimi, supported Adekunle’s account, calling the allegations exaggerated.
“There was no physical altercation; this is an incident blown out of proportion,” Dr Ogunjimi said.