A policeman Corporal Okona Stephen Ifeanyi of the Nigeria Police Force Nnewi kidnapped and assaulted a consultant neurosurgeon identified as Dr Ofodile Ekweogwu who saved his life after he was involved in a traffic accident and sustained head injury.
This information was released on March 17, 2024 by the Anambra State Branch of the Nigerian Medical Association. They stated that due to persistent loss of consciousness, the patient was referred from another hospital to Eastern Specialist Hospital Nnewi.
It was reported that Dr. Ofodile was invited and provided neurosurgical care to a patient who fully recovered and was eventually discharged. The patient’s medical bills were presented to him.
Corporal Okona requested a rebate which was granted, but he then fled the hospital by scaling the fence. He later returned and paid a portion of the bill, and was permitted to depart on his own acknowledgement.
According to NMA, instead of paying off his debt, Corporal Okona resorted to intimidating Dr Ofodile by having the operatives of the Anambra State Police Command invite the doctor to the station without any invitation or arrest warrant.
The Area Commander intervened and urged the Corporal to pay his outstanding bills.
However, Corporal Okona with four operatives of the Anambra SCID trailed Dr Ofodile as he was leaving the hospital on the 16th of March 2024 and blocked him with a Toyota SUV, grabbed him and whisked him away in the boot of the vehicle.
Dr. Ofodile informed his wife of the situation before his phone was taken away. The officials drove him to their office when he refused to ‘settle’ the outstanding debt with Corporal Okona.
The neurosurgeon was made to write a statement based on a petition he was shown in the presence of the Chairman of Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria, Nnewi Chapter but they refused to release him and drove back to the hospital in search of documents relating to his medical treatment of Corporal Okona.
The NMA disclosed that Dr. Ofodile was eventually released after the Commissioner of Police intervened in the matter. However, Corporal Okona threatened to return if he did not receive a satisfactory outcome from the NPF.
Condemning the act and torture, the NMA has demanded the arrest of Corporal Okona and his collaborators for the dastardly act on Dr Ofodile whom they refused to pay despite carrying out his job perfectly.
They warned that if not addressed properly, such act might bring disrepute to the Nigerian Police Force.
