12/05/2026
YES! WE DID THIS…
A LAW THAT SAVES LIVES AND RESTORED HUMANITY IN NIGERIA.
In 2017, Dame Barr. Mrs. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha sponsored the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshots Act on the floor of the Green Chamber of the National Assembly. The bill was subsequently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in the interest of public safety and humanity.
This landmark Act mandates all hospitals, whether public or private, to provide immediate and adequate treatment to victims of gunshot wounds without demanding a police report or upfront payment before treatment. It was enacted to put an end to the needless deaths of Nigerians caused by fear, negligence, and bureaucracy.
KEY PROVISIONS OF THE ACT:
• Every hospital must immediately treat gunshot victims.
• No police report is required before treatment begins.
• No hospital is allowed to demand an initial deposit before attending to victims.
• Hospitals are to notify the nearest police station within two hours after treatment commences.
• Victims must not be subjected to torture, harassment, or inhumane treatment.
• Any individual or authority in contact with a gunshot victim has a duty to take them to the nearest hospital.
• The police cannot interrogate a victim until certified medically fit by the Chief Medical Director.
Legal practitioner, Chigozie Ellen Onugha Esq., described the Act as one that addressed the long-standing problems surrounding police procedures, hospital responsibilities, and public involvement in handling gunshot emergencies. The Act clearly protects victims and even provides for restitution where negligence or violations occur.
In simple terms, it is now a punishable offense in Nigeria for any hospital or individual to deny treatment to a gunshot victim.
For years, many innocent Nigerians lost their lives because hospitals feared police involvement or insisted on money before treatment. Today, citizens can rely on this law and seek justice against any institution that violates it.
This happened because a lawmaker rose to the occasion.
This happened because a leader cared more about Nigerians than personal glory.
This is a legacy that cannot be erased.
This is what true representation looks like.
Barr. Mrs. Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha stands out as an orator, academic, barrister, legislator, mother, humanitarian, and philanthropist — a light in a dark tunnel for her people and for Nigerians at large.
