Auxiliary nurse, Evangelist land in prison over death of Pregnant Woman

A magistrate court sitting in Port Harcourt has remanded Evangelist Celen Benneth Nwakwo and an auxiliary Nurse Faith Ugochukwu, at the Port Harcourt correctional centre over the murder of a pregnant woman, identified as Nmaku Irioegbu.

Africa Update gathered that the suspects were dragged to Court for conspiracy and murder. They had allegedly administered Dazipan and Norvas injection on the deceased that led to her death at God’s Dwelling Clinic and Maternity, Sonlife Avenue, Egbelu Ozodo community in Obio/Akpor local Government Area of Rivers State.

Narrating the incident in Court, Evangelist Nwakwo said, the deceased had attended a prayer meeting on April 12, 2020, but was unable to stand after prayers. Sensing her distress, the Evangelist’s son, had purportedly taken the deceased to the said clinic where she had earlier registered for ante natal care.

According to her, the decision was taken considering the victim’s condition, which she thought was a sign that labour had commenced.

She stated that when the deceased could not have the baby after spending a day at the clinic, the management asked her to notify the family of the deceased about the development.

On her part, the auxiliary nurse said, when the deceased arrived the clinic, her pressure was 260/160 and she administered the injection in a bid to stabilize the deceased, noting that the injection was usually administered on women who displayed such symptoms.

She added that the deceased became a little relaxed after the injection was administered and the Evangelist was contacted to notify the family of the deceased, and she was subsequently taken to the military hospital by her relatives, where she eventually died.

Giving his oral evidence, the Investigative Police Officer, IPO, disclosed that autopsy report from the Military hospital, revealed that the injection administered by the auxiliary nurse affected the victim’s brain which led to her untimely death.

Counsel to the suspects, Jerome Okere, argued that the charge sheet and the facts of the case should be the same and asked the court to order the IPO to withdraw or amend the charge sheet to reflect the true position of the matter.

The Court declined the plea since it lacked jurisdiction and ordered that the case file be withdrawn from the police prosecuting team and forwarded to the registrar of the High court.

Delivering the ruling the chief Magistrate Ipalibo Iyiabo, ordered that the suspects be remanded in correctional centre.

Iyiabo, however, noted that due to the current coronavirus outbreak, the suspects should be remanded at the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID. The case was adjourned to the May 26, 2020.