2 Enugu Psychiatric Doctors Docked for Forgery, Stealing

Posted by African Examiner African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Friday, July 17th, 2020

From Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Two consultants medical Doctors, Inechi Mcdonald Chikaodo and Ugwuonye Kingsley, working at the Federal Neuropsychiatric hospital Enugu, South East Nigeria, have been arraigned before an Enugu North Magistrate Court for alleged stealing and forgery.

They were docked Thursday on a 4-court charge, on suit number MEN/223c/2020, before His Worship S.O. Okoro by a police prosecutor Simeon Eze.

The duo who are consultants in the hospital were said to have in the year 2014, at the Hospital, conspired among themselves to wit: stealing/forgery and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 494 (a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.

African Examiner reports that some of the charges read thus:

“That you Dr. Inechi Mcdonald Chikaodo and Dr. Ugwuonye Kingsley on the same date, place and in the aforementioned magisterial district did steal the sum of N700,000 (seven hundred thousand naira) property of Ozor Stephen, next of kin to late Ozor Obinna and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 353 (L) of the of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.

“That you Dr. Inechi Mcdonald Chikaodo and Dr. Ugwuonye Kingsley on the same date, place and in the aforementioned magisterial district did steal the sum of N1,034,711.00) property of late Ozor Obinna and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 353 (L) of the of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.

It continued: “That you Dr. Inechi Mcdonald Chikaodo and Dr. Ugwuonye Kingsley on the same date, place and in the aforementioned magisterial district did with intent to deceive or acted upon as genuine forged the signature of Stephen Ozor in a purported acknowledgement letter in respect of the sum of N700,000 (seven hundred thousand naira), which you purported to have been signed by him and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 443 (1) of the of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.”

After the charges were read to the accused persons, they both pleaded not guilty and elected summary trial.

The defence counsel prayed the court to grant them bail in most liberal terms, an application the prosecutor left to the discretion of the court.

After listening to their submissions, the Magistrate granted them bail in the sum of N300,000 only, with one surety in the like sum, saying that “the surety shall be a civil servant of grade level six and above.

Our Correspondent gathered from a source that the said money was meant for the treatment of a fellow Doctor who had kidney disease but later died in Lagos, South- West Nigeria shortly before he could be flown outside the country.