Crisis: Atlast, MD Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu, Dr Ngozi Unogu Appears in Court

…As Judge adjourns case to May 12 for compliance

BY JUDE OSSAI / ENUGU

Atlast, the Managing Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu has appeared in court to face contempt of court which sent her to jail by the Presiding Judge of an Enugu High Court, Justice Ngozi Orji.

The Managing Director is on jail bond of N1million and had not appeared in court since she was convicted until Thursday, March 27, 2025 due to illness as stated by her counsel.

Apparently irked by Dr. Ngozi Unogu’s absence in the last court sitting, Justice Orji threatened to revoke the jail bond she granted her and the Director of Clinical Services, Dr. Vincent Ubochi over the alleged contempt if she fails to appear in court today ( March 21, 2025).

Recall that Justice Ebele Mabel Egumbge of the High Court of Enugu State had, in 2020, ruled in favour of the plaintiff, Dr. Afam Ndu in suit No. E712017, where the court awarded Dr. Ndu ₦2.5 million in damages and issued a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, including Dr. Unogu and Dr. Ubochi, from questioning his qualifications.

When the matter came up on Thursday, Counsel for the defendants, who was appearing in the matter for the first time, asked for an adjournment to enable him study the documents and find a way of complying with the rulings.

After listening to both Counsels, the court adjourned the case to May 12, 2025 to enable parties in the matter show compliance with the court ruling.

Findings show that Ndu, a senior staff has been facing persecution from the Management of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu since 2017 before he was suspended from office and his salary is being withheld for 20 months now.

Editor

Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.