Following the gruesome killing of Dr. Uyi Iluobe by unknown gunmen in Delta State, the state’s chapter of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), yesterday, called on Police authority to as a matter of urgency, speedily bring the perpetrators to book.

Dr. Uyi Iluobe was murdered on December 29, 2022 in his hospital, at Olivet Clinic, Oghareki, Oghara, Ethiope West Local Council of the state.
Delta NMA Vice Chairman, Dr. Anthony Okwuze, who spoke to newsmen, said the entire medical community in Nigeria and in the diaspora is saddened by the senseless killing of the budding medical practitioner at his prime age.

Okwuze, who stood in for the Chairman, Dr. Okolakpa Carter, said: “Preliminary investigation revealed that on that fateful day, a female patient whose name and address are not known came to the hospital at about 1940 hours pretending to have abdominal pain. While the doctor was attending to her, she made a phone call to the suspects whom she deceptively invited to come and pay her bill, as she was being treated by the doctor.

“Moments later, the hoodlums stormed the hospital in a Toyota vehicle, entered the doctor’s office, and shot him twice in the chest, leading to his death and the purported female patient fled with the suspects.”

He said the wife of their deceased colleague informed them, among others, that “the doctor had a brawl with some relative of a patient in time past due to their unwillingness to pay accrued bill from services rendered by the late doctor”, even as the said patient threatened to deal with the doctor” .

Dr. Okwuze expressed dismay with the manner the police are sluggishly to do the needful, blaming the Police for not taking statements from the nurses on duty when the doctor was killed, but instead the police hastily concluded that “It was a cult related matter”.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ari Alli has assured that the case will be thoroughly investigated to ensure that justice is served.

Alli, who extended his heartfelt condolences to the family members of the deceased and members of NMA, stated clearly that the rumours making rounds that the family members of a supposedly dead patient were responsible for the murder of the doctor is completely false and should be disregarded as there is no record of any patient that died prior to the unfortunate incidence.

The police boss called for assistance of all and sundry in their effort to identify the killers.