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ABUJA – The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, descended into tension on Thursday morning as security guards attached to several government hospitals staged protests over the non-payment of their wages for four months.

The demonstrations broke out simultaneously at Nyanya, Zuba, and Kubwa General Hospitals, where the aggrieved guards barricaded the entrances, singing protest songs and vowing not to resume duty until they received their outstanding payments.

The action brought hospital operations to a standstill, leaving patients, including pregnant women and nursing mothers with early appointments, stranded outside. Both emergency and outpatient services were suspended, worsening the situation for many who had traveled long distances for medical care.

The protesting guards accused their employers — private security companies contracted by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), of withholding their wages despite the harsh economic conditions.

However, one managing director of a security firm, who requested anonymity, shifted the blame to the government, claiming the FCTA had failed to pay contractors for almost a year.

“Our hands are tied. The Health Department has refused to release our payments for nearly twelve months. How can we pay our workers when we ourselves haven’t been paid?” he explained.

The protests highlight deep-seated issues of administrative neglect and financial mismanagement within the FCTA, as critical health institutions continue to suffer from delayed funding and bureaucratic inefficiencies.

Observers say the development exposes the fragile state of the capital’s healthcare system, where essential services are being disrupted not by medical professionals, but by unpaid security personnel who can no longer afford to keep working without pay.