I Didn’t Slap Any Nursing Student, Ogun Surgeon Says Amidst Protest

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.

THE WHISTLER reported that Adekunle was accused of slapping the student nurse at the theatre on September 24.

This had led nurses under the auspices of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives to protest and demand justice for the assaulted student.

However, the surgeon stated that he only asked the student to leave the operating theatre due to alleged rude behaviour.

He described the claims as baseless, insisting that he did not engage in any physical altercation.

“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,” he explained.

Adekunle further explained 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.

The surgeon stated that the incident happened with a male nurse and condemned the spread of misinformation with some online accounts who falsely reported that he 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 said.

Adekunle noted that the hospital’s Chief Medical Director conducted an investigation and found no evidence to support the allegations.

Confirming his story, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association in Ogun State, Dr Luqman Ogunjimi, stated that what transpired between the surgeon and nurse was exaggerated.

“There was no physical altercation; this is an incident blown out of proportion,” he explained.

I Didn’t Slap Any Nursing Student, Ogun Surgeon Says Amidst Protest is first published on The Whistler Newspaper