Doctor’s Murder in Delta: NMA Rejects ‘Hasty Police Report’

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Delta State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has rejected what it called “hasty report” pushed out on Tuesday by the Delta State Police Command on the murder of Dr. Uyi Iluobe at his Olivet Clinic, Oghara in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State by unidentified assailants.

The police command spokesman, Mr Bright Edafe (DSP), put out what he said was the outcome of police preliminary investigation into the December 29, 2022 killing in Oghara, shortly after a meeting between the state police commissioner, Muhammed Ari Ali and representatives of the NMA Delta.

The NMA accused the police of trying to create the erroneous impression that their colleague and victim of the attack had died in cult-related violence, a situation that could becloud proper and full investigation into the dastardly act.

The association stressed that their deceased colleague was a responsible medical practitioner and not a cultist, vowing to protest unwarranted attacks on medical practitioners in different parts of the state.

Speaking with newsmen in Asaba yesterday, the NMA said that it was disheartening that the police would issue a report on the unfortunate incident even before they had interrogated the paramedical staff and workers in the clinic.

According the Vice-Chairman of NMA Delta State, Dr. Anthony Okwuze, the doctors condemned, in strong terms, the hasty report by the state police command, arguing that such investigation was not thoroughly conducted and could not have represented the true position of things regarding the death of the physician.

He urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that the perpetrators of the senseless killing were fished out and brought to justice.

The NMA would be left with no other option but to call out its members on an industrial action if the needful was not done to uncover the criminals who murdered Dr. Iluobe,” he said.

Also speaking,  the Secretary of NMA, Dr. Oge Great Nwokwule, implored Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to come to aid of the family of the deceased and the entire medical community in getting justice.

The demands by the NMA include that the security agencies should “double their efforts in bringing the perpetrators of this dastardly act to book speedily.”

“We charge the Delta State Police Command to, as a matter of urgency, investigate thoroughly the issues of threat to life of the deceased from the previously treated and discharged gunshot victim sometime last October, who allegedly threatened the doctor”, urging “the Delta State Command to leave no stone unturned in unravelling the remote cause of the murder and speedily bring the perpetrators to book.”

According to the police report, an unknown young lady had reportedly come to the clinic pretending to have serious abdominal pains. However, she had eventually called somebody to come to settle her bill as the doctor was already attending to her.

However, when a black Toyota vehicle with tinted glass drove into the place, the assailant went straight into the clinic, holding up everyone in sight before shooting the doctor, who is the Medical Director of Olivet Medical Centre, Oghara, at close range while the young lady reportedly jumped into the car used by the assailants and fled the scene.