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…As PSN condemns killing

By Festus Ahon & Chioma Obinna,ASABA

DELTA State Chapter of Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, yesterday, called on the police to thoroughly investigate the murder of the medical director of Olivet Clinic in Oghareki, Ethiope West LGA of the state, Dr Uyi Iluoba.

He was killed at his hospital in Oghara on December 29, 2022.

This came as the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, Prof. Cyril Usifoh, condemned the murder of Iluobe while attending to a patient in his hospital.

NMA in a statement by the state vice chairman, Okwuze Anthony, and secretary, Oge Nwokwule, alleged that the deceased doctor received threats from a previously treated and discharged gunshot patient, who was unable to pay his medical bills last October and faulted the Police claim that the death was cult-related after preliminary investigation.

NMA said: “We gathered from the wife of the deceased that the doctor has had a brawl with some patient’s relatives in past due to their unwillingness to pay the accrued bill from services rendered by the doctor.

“We were also informed that sometime in October 2022, the deceased doctor treated a patient with gunshot wounds. On discharge, the patient refused to pay accrued bill. The issue was reported to the police authority in Oghara. It is alleged that the police assisted the doctor in recovering his money.

“It was also alleged that the said patient threatened to deal with the doctor. The NMA Delta State is reliably informed that there has been cases of threat to life to the doctor by some youths of the community.

“On the day of the incident,  a female patient and the doctor had a disagreement at the hospital, the female patient allegedly made a call after which some gunmen moved into the clinic and ordered everybody to lie face down.

“They (the gunmen) approached the doctor and shot him twice in the chest and left with the lady, who purportedly presented with severe abdominal pains in a black Toyota salon car with tinted windows.”

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ari Ali has assured NMA and the family of the deceased doctor that the case would be thoroughly investigated to ensure that the deserved justice is served.

The Police in a statement by its Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, said: “Preliminary investigation revealed that on the said date, a female patient whose name and address are not known came to the hospital at about 19:40 hours pretending to have abdominal pain.