•Delta CP meets association
•Promises speedy investigation
By Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba and Polycarp Orosevwotu, Ughelli
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Delta State branch, has expressed apprehension about the rising spate of workplace violence, particularly among health workers.
It said with the recent murder of Dr. Uyi Iluobe, doctors in Delta State “feel anxious, insecure and restive.”
Delta NMA Vice Chairman Dr. Okwuze Anthony said yesterday in Asaba, the capital that unless the killers were brought to justice, the association could not guarantee smooth health care delivery.
He expressed dismay at the Nigeria Police for hastily concluding that the murder of Dr. Iluobe was cult-related.
Okwuze said: “The NMA Delta State and the entire medical community in Nigeria and in the diaspora is saddened by this gruesome, barbaric and senseless murder of this skilful doctor in the face of a crippling brain drain that has created a deficiency of human resources for health care. The NMA is dismayed at the hasty conclusion of the Nigeria Police, following their preliminary investigation that it is a cult-related matter.”
He urged the police to investigate a recent case where the victim was involved a brawl with some patients’ relatives due to their unwillingness to pay accrued bills and also the October 2022 incident where the victim treated a patient with gunshot injuries, who refused to pay accrued bills.
Okwuze said: “We gathered from the deceased’s wife, a medical doctor that her husband had a brawl with some patients’ relatives in the past due to unwillingness to pay accrued bills for services rendered by the doctor. We were also informed that sometime in October 2022, the deceased treated a patient with gunshot wounds. On discharge, the patient refused to pay accrued bills. The issue was reported to the police authority in Oghara. It is alleged that the police assisted the doctor in recovering his money.”
Delta State Police Commissioner (CP) Ari Muhammed Ali yesterday met members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Delta State chapter, in his office over the death of Dr. Iluobe killed in his hospital, Olivet Clinic, Oghareki, Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government last Thursday.
The police boss, who assured NMA of arresting the suspects, said preliminary investigation showed that on the said day, a female patient, whose name and address were not known, came to the hospital at about 7:40pm, pretending to have abdominal pain.
It was learnt that while the doctor was attending to her, she phoned the suspects, whom she deceptively invited to come and pay her bill and that she was being treated by the doctor.
It was said that moments later, the hoodlums stormed the hospital in a Toyota vehicle, entered the doctor’s office, and shot him twice in the chest, leading to his death, while the purported female patient fled with the suspects.
The CP, expressing his condolences to the bereaved family and NMA members, assured them that the case would be investigated, to ensure justice.
Police spokesman DSP Bright Edafe in a statement said: “It is pertinent to state that the rumours doing the rounds that the family members of a supposedly dead patient were responsible for the murder of the doctor is false and should be disregarded, as there is no record of any patient that died prior to the unfortunate incident.
“The command wishes to take this opportunity to seek assistance of all and sundry in our efforts to lift the veil off the face of the perpetrators.”