Court Jails Enugu Neuropsychiatric Hospital CMD, Director Correctional Centre, Over Disobedience of Court Order

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The duo of Dr Ngozi Unaogu, the Acting Chief Medical Director, CMD, of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, and the Director, Clinical Services of the Nigeria Correctional Centre, will remain in jail until they purge themselves of contempt of Court, an Enugu High Court has ruled.

Justice Ngozi Orji in her verdict on Monday, March 10, 2025 ordered the two medical officials to be remanded until there is a complete compliance with the terms of the judgement delivered by Hon. Justice E.M. Egumgbe, in the matter between the hospital and one Afam Ndu, the suspended Principal of the School of Basic Psychiatric Nursing of the same hospital.

The Source reports that Justice Egumgbe had on December 10, 2021, while ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by Ndu granted a perpetual order restraining the Hospital Management  (respondent) from scrutinizing or subjecting to any verification exercise the credentials of the applicant ( Ndum) .

However, the trial Judge, Justice Orji, observed that both the Acting CMD and the Director of Clinical Services of the Nigeria Correctional Centre flouted the earlier restraining Court order.

According to the Court, the CMD, in flagrant disobedience of the subsisting Court order constituted a commit3tee which she, also, headed to verify the  applicant’s NYSC discharge certificate.

The CMD had claimed that the directive for the scrutinization of the certificate was from the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

But the Court in its ruling held that the constitution of the probe committee was in breach of the earlier restraining Court order as granted by Justice Egumgbe.

The Court consequently ordered the two public officials to be  remanded  in Custodial Centre until there is a total obedience of the restraining order as issued on December 10, 2021.