Following the alleged assault on a female doctor, Theresa Ugalahi, by a military officer, Dr. Chukwuemeka Okpara, female doctors working at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, OAUTHC, have reportedly staged a protest.
The accused Military officer, Okpara, a Wing Commander with the Nigerian Air force, who is undergoing his residency programme at the Department of Community Medicine, was alleged to have thoroughly beaten up Ugalahi for parking behind his vehicle at a private residence where both of them resided.
Armed with placards with various inscriptions such as: Justice for Theresa; Evil thrives when good people do nothing; No more violence on women, the protesters, who were led by Dr. Boladale Mapayi, a consultant at the Psychiatry Department of the OAUTHC condemned the assault on Ugalahi, who is a Senior Registrar 1 at the Psychiatry Department.
They marched from ward to ward as they expressed their displeasure against the assault.
Addressing the protesters, the Chief Medical Doctor of the OAUTHC, Prof. Victor Adetiloye, said the hospital would be painstaking in its investigation and it would ensure that the two doctors involved were given fair hearing.
Adetiloye assured them that the issue would be thoroughly investigated before any action would be taken.
According to him, “I want to reassure you that justice will be done but it is important to follow the due process. We have to give the parties involved fair hearing and nothing will be swept under the carpet.
“A panel that was set up will be giving their reports and the officer involved has been queried.
“The military headquarter has tendered their apology and they are on top of it just as we are.
Speaking with journalists on the assault, a tenant, Nurudeen Raji, who lives in the same building with the two doctors at 22, Akindoyin Street Eleyele area of Ile-Ife, said the assault on Ugalahi was not the first time the officer would assault fellow tenants.
He said Okpara had in the past attacked a neighbour while watching a football match.
However, Okpara had denied the allegation against him, saying it was fabricated to smear his image.
He said, “It is true that we live in the same house. She blocked my car on that day and I asked her to come and remove her car so I could leave but she did not. I spent about 25 minutes waiting for her but she did not apologise when she came out.
“She entered inside her car but refused to move.
“I was urging her to move so I could go but she grabbed my shirt and started rough handling me.
“I tried to break away from her, I did not beat her, I did not slap her. She was the one that rough handled me.
“Those present had to collect the pedal lock from her. She did not suffer any fracture nor have any cerebrospinal fluid coming out of her brain.
“All these were fabricated to tarnish my image,” the military officer said in defense.
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