An Enugu State High Court has convicted Dr. Ngozi Unaogu, the Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, for disobeying a court order.
Justice Ngozi Oji found Dr. Unaogu and the hospital’s Director of Clinical Services, Dr. Vincent Ubochi, guilty of contempt and ordered their detention at the Correctional Centre until they fully comply with the court’s judgment delivered on December 10, 2021, by Justice Ebele Mabel Egumgbe.
Justice Egumgbe had previously issued a perpetual injunction restraining the hospital’s management from further scrutinizing the credentials of Dr. Afam Ndu after he had been cleared by the Federal Ministry of Health of any wrongdoing.
Dr. Ndu, a suspended principal of the hospital’s School of Mental and Basic Psychiatric Nursing, had sued Dr. Unaogu and others after facing allegations of rape, murder, and possession of fake certificates. After being exonerated by the ministry, he sought redress in court, demanding ₦20 million in damages.
The court ruled in his favor, awarding ₦2.5 million in damages against Dr. Unaogu, Dr. Ubochi, and two other doctors, citing defamation. It also ordered them to retract their defamatory statements and publish an apology in a national newspaper within 30 days. Furthermore, they were prohibited from making further defamatory statements against Dr. Ndu.
The defendants appealed the ruling, but the Court of Appeal upheld the decision on January 24, 2024.
Despite this, Dr. Unaogu and Dr. Ubochi proceeded to form a senior staff committee to re-examine Dr. Ndu’s NYSC discharge certificate, allegedly acting on directives from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
In response, Justice Oji ruled on Monday that their actions constituted blatant disregard for the court’s authority. She sentenced both doctors to prison until they comply fully with the 2021 judgment.
