The medical community in Nigeria is saddened by the news of the gruesome murder of Dr. Uyi Iluobe in Ughara,Delta state by Patient relatives.However, what caught the attention of Medical Doctors in Nigeria is the content of a three-quarter page tepidly composed letter condemning the killing circulated mainly in social media platforms populated by Medical Doctors and shared to some media houses by the President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).The press release was poorly composed to the extent that the NMA President and his team failed to mention the full names of the Doctor as only one of his names ( Iluobe) was mentioned in the press statement.This important omission clearly showed that the NMA did not carryout the necessary due diligence to gather all the necessary information about the incident across to Nigerian Doctors and the general public.The feeble press statement will not attract the much needed attention of the public and government about this despicable act of gruesome murder of a Medical Doctor while performing his professional duty of saving lives.
Several Doctors have been kidnapped,assaulted,robbed,harassed in the past with NMA doing very little to attract the attention of the public and Government to the threats faced by Doctors and other healthcare personnel in their workplace.
Unfortunately,these series of assault have now transmuted to murder not by kidnappers and armed robbers but by Patient relatives assaulting and killing a Medical Doctor at his workplace.This is an incident that must not be allowed to lie low and fizzled away in social media spaces of Medical Doctors and few online news media.The NMA President has an enormous responsibility on his neck to work hard through the use of mass media and appropriate advocacy platforms to bring this ugly and highly condemnable incident to public consciousness.This should be done through all possible channels including deploying the money every member of NMA pay as dues every month to bring this gruesome act of murder of one of us to the attention of every Nigerian including the law enforcement agencies and government at all levels.
Compare and contrast this gruesome murder with the Murder of Bolanle Raheem,a Lawyer by a policeman in Lagos on Christmas day.Immediately after the incident,the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association ( NMA) took it upon itself to bring the incident to the attention of the public.This made the news of the murder dominate National discourse for more than a week in both the social and traditional media spaces.The incident immediately became the top news item in Nigeria from 25th to 31st December 2022 featuring as lead story in almost all the reputable newspapers in Nigeria and online news platforms.
As part of the advocacy,the NBA immediately visited the family house of the deceased lawyer and the Ajah police station to register the complaint of the Association and call on the police Authority to ensure speedy dispensation of Justice for the deceased and her family. The aftermath of the sustained advocacy for Justice for late Mrs Bonanle Raheem has payed off.The President of Nigeria and Governor of Lagos state issued statements assuring the NBA and the public that Justice would be served,the Inspector General of Police ordered immediate arrest of the suspects and went further to suspend the suspect from the service of the Nigerian Police.Additionally, all the four leading Presidential candidates in next month general elections issued statements condemning the murder and call for speedy dispensation of Justice.
True to the words of the President,the Lagos state Governor and IGP of police the suspect was arraigned before the court on criminal charge of murder within five days of committing the criminal act. This happened despite the fact that Monday and Tuesday was declared as public holiday in Nigeria.
This is probably the fastest arraignment of a suspect charged with murder many Nigerians have ever witnessed.
This great feat was achieved by the pressure and sustained efforts of the NBA at both National and state levels and it took a lot of hard work and diligent utilisation of available resources to achieve.
Unfortunately in the case of the murder of a Medical Doctor while carrying out his professional duty in his workplace took the NMA President two days to issue a half-hearted and weakling press release conceived to be circulated within the socal media platforms of Medical Doctors and some few news media.There is not yet any credible information about the arrest of the suspects or assurances from the police or the state Governor of bringing them to justice. This in the opinion of most Doctors is far below the response required in a grievous situation like the one in hand.
We have expected to see the NMA President together with the Delta state Chairman of NMA on a condolence visit to the bereaved family of our departed colleague in the full presence of the conventional news media.This should be followed by addressing a world press conference to bring this dastardly act to the attention of the entire nation and the world.The President should use the opportunity of the press conference to bring the attention of the public to the constant harassment and threat to life being experienced by health workers especially Doctors every day in the discharge of their duties.NMA as the umbrella body of all Medical Doctors in Nigeria need to sound a very big warning that this must stop otherwise Doctors may be constrained to withdraw their services to the Public.Truly,this gruesome act of murder is a cogent reason for Doctors to declare industrial dispute until government give them sound assurances of safety in their workplaces and speedy dispensation of justice to our departed colleague.Nigerian Doctors and indeed the entire nation have expected to hear of the arrest of the the suspects and the day of their appearance in court.While this is yet to happen, Nigerian Doctors and the Nigerian public are expecting the NMA to put the needed pressure on the Police and Government of Delta state until the suspects are arrested and arraigned before the court of law for diligent prosecution.
The NMA President should know that the murder of a Medical Doctor while performing his duties is a monumental crime that must be given the right attention it deserves.He need to remove his bow tie,fold his sleeves and come out to engage the press,the Security agencies,the Governor of Delta state( who is one of us) and the Civil Society Organisations.While we acknowledged that this is indeed a difficult crisis for the NMA President and his team,but this is also the time to demonstrate true leadershipThis is the time to mobilise and utilise all resources available for sustained advocacy to bring the constant harassment and threat to life being experienced by Medical Doctor daily in Nigeria to the consciousness of the public,the government and the security agencies.
The NMA President must do all it takes within the confine of our laws to ensure that those responsible for the gruesome murder of late Dr. Iyu Iluobe are brought to justice and charged for the crime of Murder as soon as possible.We will eventually judged the success of the NMA leadership by the speed to which the murderers are brought to justice to answer for their crime.
Dr Mijinyawa Bashir Bello is a Consultant Physician and a Public Affairs Analyst.He writes from Abuja, Nigeria
