By Sahara Reporters

Copyright saharareporters

Senior health officers in Oke Ero Local Government, Kwara State, have burnt used syringes and altered official rosters after learning of an impending visit by the state governor, SaharaReporters has learnt.

The cover-up follows revelations by a registered nurse, Rufus Favour Mojisola, who raised an alarm over unsafe practices at the Primary Health Centre, including rinsing and reusing syringes due to the absence of sterilisation equipment such as an autoclave.

Instead of addressing the concerns, authorities reportedly issued Mojisola a query containing 11 charges and transferred her to a remote, insecure facility.

She also alleged being undermined and forced to carry out duties outside her nursing role, such as sweeping, despite the presence of an attendant.

A staff source confirmed that senior officers hastily destroyed syringes and removed the Immunisation Register from the facility once news of the governor’s visit spread.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Association of Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Kwara chapter, is under pressure from government officials to deny the malpractice reports publicly.

Sources told SaharaReporters that Mojisola herself is being coerced to publish a disclaimer to debunk the issues she raised.

However, a meeting has been scheduled at the Local Government Commission in Ilorin, where the embattled nurse is expected to appear as pressure mounts on her to retract her complaint.

One of the sources said, “They quickly burned the used syringes and altered the roster after hearing about the governor’s visit.

“The Immunization Register was taken home by my OIC yesterday. A meeting is scheduled for today (Friday) at 9 a.m. at the Local Government Commission in Ilorin. The nurse facing oppression, victimization, and witch-hunt for filing a complaint with the NANNM Kwara State chapter has been invited, along with some other individuals.

“NANNM held a lengthy meeting with government officials yesterday, during which the government attempted to pressure them into going to the media to deny the truth by claiming that the incidents at the PHC never occurred.”

“The nurse who raised the complaint is also under pressure to appear in the media, deny the truth, and publish a disclaimer,” another source said.

“The pressure is mounting. The government does not want to accept liability for the serious health malpractices occurring at the PHC,” the source added.

SaharaReporters previously reported that the NANNM had petitioned Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, calling for urgent intervention over alleged harassment, intimidation, and professional obstruction of a registered nurse at Ekan Primary Health Care Centre, Oke-Ero Local Government Area.

In a letter addressed to the governor on September 15, 2025, the union alleged that Nurse Mojisola, a newly employed health worker posted to the facility, had been subjected to repeated acts of humiliation and assault by the Officer-in-Charge, Mrs. Ayinde Risikat, a Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW).

In a statement released on Monday by Comrade Aminu Shehu, State Chairman, through Comrade Markus Luka, State Secretary, it was stated that, according to the petition, Nurse Rufus was punished for pointing out lapses and unprofessional practices at the centre.

She was reportedly forced to kneel in her uniform, slapped multiple times, and restricted from performing her professional duties. She was allegedly assigned menial tasks outside her scope of practice.

The association further raised an alarm over unsafe and unethical medical practices at the facility, including administration of wrong drug dosages, the use of nylon gloves during deliveries, the recycling of syringes, and improper delivery methods.

These practices, NANNM warned, pose serious risks to patients and undermine healthcare standards in the state.

Despite being the victim, Nurse Rufus was allegedly issued a query and transferred to a location the union described as unsafe due to security concerns.

NANNM condemned this as victimisation, insisting that it amounts to abuse of office and misconduct by the officer-in-charge.

The petitioners cited provisions of the Public Service Rules, which classify assault and harassment in the workplace as serious misconduct punishable by dismissal.

NANNM is demanding an independent investigation, disciplinary action against Mrs. Risikat, reforms in primary healthcare management in Kwara, and reversal of Nurse Rufus’s transfer to ensure her safety and professional dignity.