ABUJA, Nigeria(BN24) — A female officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), identified as Blessing Akpan, was stabbed to death by unknown assailants in front of her residence in the Piawe area of Bwari, Abuja, Nigeria, in the early hours of Tuesday last week.
According to witnesses and friends of the victim, Akpan was attacked near her home during what appeared to be a robbery attempt. She was reportedly on her way out when the assailants approached and stabbed her. She later died from her injuries at Bwari General Hospital, where medical personnel confirmed her death.
What has ignited public outrage is the claim that Akpan, who sustained severe injuries and was losing blood rapidly, was taken to multiple hospitals but denied immediate treatment due to the absence of a police report.
“She was dying, and yet we were told we needed a police report first,” one of Akpan’s close friends told Daily Trust on Monday, July 28, speaking anonymously. “We showed them her NSCDC identity card, and still, she was not attended to. We kept moving her from one hospital to another until she died.”
Another friend explained that the stabbing occurred during a failed robbery attempt. “Some persons tried to rob her, and I guess they had to stab her to take her belongings,” the friend said.
The death of Officer Akpan has raised fresh concerns over the protocol requiring police documentation before emergency medical care, particularly in critical situations involving violent crimes. Her friends described the situation as a tragic reflection of systemic failure.
“It is painful that we lost Officer Blessing due to a weak and uncoordinated system,” said another grieving friend. “It’s heartbreaking. She was also a security officer — how do you deny her help?”
The NSCDC and local police authorities have yet to issue a formal statement regarding the incident. As of Monday, no arrests had been made, and the identity of the attackers remains unknown.
