The Court of Appeal in Enugu Division has dismissed the appeal brought by Dr. Ngozi Unaogu, the Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, along with three consultant psychiatrists—Drs. Ubochi Vincent, Justin Acho, and Ugwuonye Onyekachi—against senior nurse Afam Ndu. This appeal, designated CA/E/47/2022, challenged the 2021 ruling of the Enugu State High Court in a defamation case initiated by Ndu.
The defamation suit began in 2017 when nurses Buzor Maduka, Tina Okolo, Sunday Okoli, and Afam Ndu condemned job racketeering by Mrs. Stella Achalla, former secretary to the then Medical Director Dr. Jojo Onwukwe. Achalla was later convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison, with an order to refund N15 million obtained from the job scam. However, the nurses faced backlash from certain doctors, who viewed their actions as an affront and wrote to the ministry to cancel their promotions based on false claims.
Angered by the petition, Afam Ndu sought redress in court, alleging defamation. Justice E.M. Egumgbe of the Enugu State High Court ruled in December 2021 that the allegations in the petition were false, malicious, and defamatory, ordering an immediate retraction and an unreserved apology in a national newspaper, along with a fine of N2.5 million.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, the doctors appealed, claiming the letter was privileged information. However, the appellate court, led by Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar, found the appeal lacked merit and upheld the High Court’s decision.
Despite the ruling, Dr. Unaogu, upon assuming duty as Acting MD in 2023, set up a committee to review the matter. With the recent appeal decided in Ndu’s favor, the court has cleared the way for Drs. Ubochi and Unaogu to face potential contempt charges.
AT Reporter
