The Chairman of National Orthopedic Hospital Enugu, NOHE, Cooperative Thrift, and Loans Society, Mr. Philip Ugwuona has raised the alarm that he has gone into hiding following intimidations and unwarranted arrests by the Inspector General of Police, IGP, monitoring team from Abuja.
Ugwuona who spoke from his hideout said that the team which had arrested him eight times in the past was in Enugu on Monday to re-arrest him on trumped-up allegations despite court orders restraining the police and their agents from doing so pending the determination of the matter in court. This is coming on the heels of ongoing nationwide protests against brutality and human rights abuses by the defunct Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, and other tactical units.
Ugwuona particularly fingered the Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Cajethan Nwadinigwe for his ordeal over allegations of fraud and messy land deals in the hospital’s cooperative society, but Nwadinigwe denied involvement, alleging that Ugwuona has many cases. Ugwona said: “This morning (Monday) shortly after I went to work, I was called by one Inspector Esther, the same person that arrested me from the IGP monitoring team, and told me that since we have refused to give them any money on this investigation that they have come on their own and that I should come and bring something for them and also corporate with them to go and measure the land.
“I told her that she was aware that this matter is in court and is subjudice and transferred to the legal department of the police headquarters in Abuja for investigation and also that the IGP minuted on the matter to stay the action and she said no that they found a gun in the bush at the site. “After that, another Inspector Idris called me and said he is from IGP monitoring and said that I should cooperate with them very well and come out for us to go and verify what is happening in the site and the issue of the gun.
I asked him if he found any gun on me and that I know that their game is to incriminate and hang a charge on me the next day so that the MD will find a reason to sack me from work, the same move they’ve been making since. “After that, another CSP Dalhatu, the 2ic IGP monitoring, called me and I refused to answer. I then called my lawyer who called the Police headquarters legal department that confirmed that the matter is with them.
So they are in Enugu hovering around to arrest me for what I do not know. “I can no longer go home because I know they will come to my house, tomorrow I cannot go to my office and I want to know what is happening because they want to kill me for no reason.”
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