The Nigerian Medical Association, Delta State branch, has tasked the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to intensify efforts in the investigation of the murder of a medical doctor, Dr Uyi Iluobe, who was shot dead by yet-to–be-identified gunmen who attacked him in his clinic at Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area on the New Year eve.
The NMA stated that this was desirable in order to bring the killers to book without further delay.
At a press conference addressed in Asaba, the State capital, on Wednesday, the Vice president, NMA, Delta State branch, Dr Okwwuze Anthony, expressed dismay over the police preliminary investigation on the death.
He said, “The police authority in Oghara where the murder took place did not take statements from the nurses at the scene of the crime, Olivet Clinic, Oghara”.
The NMA vice president, however, stated that the association was reliably informed that there had been cases of threat to the doctor’s life by some youths in the community.
He specifically pointed accusing fingers at the aggrieved relatives of a patient who died from a gunshot wound who had earlier threatened the doctor.
The NMA vice president spoke further, “Prior to this incident, we gathered from the wife of the deceased that the doctor has had a brawl with some patients’ relatives in times past due to their unwillingness to pay accrued bills from services rendered by the doctor.
“Sometimes in October 2022, the deceased doctor treated a patient with gunshot wounds. On discharge of the patients, he refused the accrued bill. The issue was reported to the police in Oghara, and it was alleged the police assisted the doctor to recover his money.
“It was also alleged that the said patient threatened to deal with the doctor.”
The NMA called on well-meaning Nigerians to add their voices in condemning the gruesome murder of the medical doctor.
The Association also called on the State Government to do everything necessary to assist the family of the deceased and the entire medical community in getting justice.
The Nigerian Medical Association, South-South Caucus/Zone, had earlier threatened to shut down all hospitals in Delta State in protest against the murder of Dr Iluobe.
Reacting to the incident in a statement jointly issued on Tuesday by Dr Udoka Imoisili, Chairman, NMA Edo State Branch/South-South Caucus and Dr Collins Otoikhila Secretary, NMA Edo State Branch/South-South Caucus/ZEC, the zonal body threatened to commence a one-week total shut down of hospitals in the State.
While noting that the association received with rude shock the news of the gruesome murder of Dr.Uyi lluobe, the zonal body also stated that if the law enforcement agencies do not fish out the murderers of their murdered colleague at the expiration of one week, the whole states in South-South zone of NMA will down tools.
“While we mourn the unfortunate murder of our colleague, we wish to assure all our members in the South-South Zone that we shall pursue this case to its logical conclusion.We will not spare anything to ensure that Dr Uyi lluobe and his family gets justice”, the statement added.
In an earlier statement, the National President of the NMA, Dr Uche Ojinmah, had urged the National Assembly to criminalise violence against healthcare workers in the country.
Ojinmah said, “The Nigerian Medical Association received with shock and sadness the news of the murder on December 31, 2022, of Dr Iluobe by the relatives of his patient at Oghara, where his practice was based.
“The above scenario being the response of the relatives to the loss of a patient from suspected gunshot injuries can never be justified and has taken violence against doctors and other healthcare workers from injuries to murder.
“It is unbelievable that in the face of a debilitating medical brain drain, the few doctors that patriotically decided to stay back and take care of our fellow citizens are being murdered by same Nigerians.
“While we sympathise with the family of the patient that was lost, we strongly condemn this murder and call on the Government of Delta State, and the Inspector-General of Police to, as a matter of urgency, to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to book so as to assuage the pain we feel.
“A man should not be murdered for the selfless act of being on duty on New Year’s Eve”.
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