A lawyer to Mr. Afam Ndu, one of the suspects being detained over the murder of Mrs. Maria Amadi, a senior staff of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, Barr. JMCC Ogbuka has come with fresh issues as the security operatives continue in their push to crack those behind the killing.
DAILY POST reports that Mrs. Amadi, from Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, was murdered in front of her house at Trans-Ekulu Area of the State at the close of work.
Ndu, a senior staff of the same hospital, was remanded alongside two other officials of the hospital over the murder.
There were reports that before the deceased died she mentioned the suspects, including four others who at large as being the masterminds of the shooting incident.
All the suspects work in the same hospital with the deceased, Amadi. While the deceased was the head of nursing services, Mr. Ndu is the Vice principal, school of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing of the Hospital. The principal of the school, Mrs. Buzo-Ruth Maduka is also being held.
However, speaking to journalists after he filed a bail application before an Enugu High Court for the release of Mr. Ndu, Barr. Ogbuka said it was against all provisions of the law for someone to be clamped into detention over mere suspicion.
He added that a look into the police case filed with which the suspect was charged to court showed that the deceased gave no such evidence as was earlier reported, noting that it was actually the husband to the deceased that reeled out the names based on existing work-related issues between the late wife and the other parties.
According to him, “based on this empty suspicion and unsubstantiated speculation, the applicant, who voluntarily came to seek for the bail of the Principal of the School was equally arrested and detained in police custody as a suspect in the case along with Mrs. Buzo-Ruth Maduka, who he came to bail and one Mrs. Stella Achalla, another staff of the hospital who served as the secretary to the former medical director of the hospital and presently posted as the secretary of the deceased before her death.”
He added that the husband to “the deceased gave the names of 7 persons to the police, whom he in concert with the DPO of thee Trans Ekulu Police Station Enugu suspect to be behind the attack on the deceased to wit: the former managing director of the hospital, Dr. Jojo Onwukwe, the PA to the former MD, Dr. Andrew Oronyigwe, the secretary to the former MD, Mrs. Stella Achalla, a member of the board of the hospital, Mrs. Kudirat Sanni, another PA to the former MD of the hospital, Mr. Paul Ugwu, the principal of the school of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing of the Hospital, Mrs. Buzo Maduka and Mr. Ndu, the applicant, who is the vice principal.”
Ogbuka, however, averred that his client nor Mrs. Buzo-Ruth Maduka, whom he came to the Trans-Ekulu Police Division to bail nor any other member of staff of the hospital was seen nor reported to have shot the gun that killed the deceased in front of her house.
On the claims that the deceased made confessional statements, Ogbuka said, “there is no fact, evidence, or statement whatsoever from any eye witness of the incident of the shooting of the deceased in the police case file.”
He added that one Mr. John Ali, a neighbour to the deceased, who took her to the hospital, and medical staff that attended to her at the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Parklane, clearly stated that the deceased had no contact with the police as earlier claimed.
Ogbuka quoted Ali as saying that as soon as he got to the police station, “the DPO hurriedly asked him to proceed with the deceased to any nearby hospital for an immediate medical attention, which he did.”
He noted further that “the deceased did not have any contact with the police at the Trans-Ekulu Police Division Enugu nor at the Parklane Hospital, Enugu.”
Declaring that the arrest and incarceration of the suspect was only hinged on some misunderstandings in their workplace, he said “the suspicion against the applicant in this case is only actuated by sheer emotional feelings and anchored upon a rock of existing malice and mischief that is devoid of any fact to substantiate it.”
