The planned peaceful demonstration by medical practitioners in Imo State, turned awry yesterday as a Consultant Family Physician in the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, FMC, Dr. Bende Azudialo, was allegedly shot in the head by a policeman.
Giving a graphic account of the incident during a press conference in Owerri, the State Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Hyacinth Emele, ordered a three-day warning strike with effect from today (Friday).
“If the policeman that fired the lethal shot is not identified and prosecuted, doctors will commence indefinite industrial action. The security agencies and Imo State Government should note that all hospitals in the state will close shop thereafter until the erring policeman is fished out and punished”, Emele said. Continuing, the Imo NMA boss, who also displayed the blood-stained white overall worn by the wounded doctor, also said that a team of medical health personnel started working on the wounded Consultant Family Physician, as soon as he was rushed to the FMC.
“The initial report we got from the medical team was that Dr. Azudialo lost about 1.5 litres of blood when he was rushed to the hospital and that was a substantial loss,” Emele said.
Dr. Darlington Akukwu also recalled how the NMA formally wrote the Commissioner of Police, the Directorate of State Security, DSS, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and all other related agencies to inform them about the peaceful protest.
“We processed peacefully until we got to Orlu Road Roundabout. The police barricaded the road and when we tried to explain our mission to them, they started firing teargas canisters. One of them later fired a shot that wounded Dr. Azudialo”, Dr. Akukwu said.
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police to find out why Imo State Government called out the police to shoot at harmless medical doctors. All efforts made to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, a deputy superintendent of police for comments, failed as his line could not be reached before press time.
However, the police was still stationing over 12 patrol vehicles at the entrance into the State Secretariat of the Nigerian Medical Association, when Vanguard left the scene at about 2.15pm.
