Exclusive: Baby Girl's ear cut off in Onitsha hospital for rituals as Parents petitions Children’s Parliament for intervention after police failed

www.odogwublog.com reports exclusively that tension returned at Okpoko suburb of Onitsha, Anambra state yesterday when officials of the Nigerian Police visited for the fourth time to arrest the Medical doctor of Victory Hospital Onitsha over the death of a toddler whose ear was cut off at the hospital allegedly for ritual purposes.
The police officers who would not want to be mentioned said they are from office of the Inspector General of police.
The victim’s family is crying out for help and alleging cover up by the police in Anambra state and petitioned the Anambra state Children’s Parliament.
 The hospital is said to have been deserted as tension is on air over what allegedly transpires at the hospital.

But reacting belatedly, the Medical Director of Victory Children’s Hospital, Onitsha, Dr Oliver Nnamdi Umeh said he was dumbfounded on the fastness of such happenstance in his hospital and police invitation that he lacked words to explain what happened himself without allowing police investigation. 
He said he has never dreamt of harming anybody in his life and wondered why he should start with a new born baby. He denied ever himself or his hospital being associated with any foul play in any manner not to think of ritual related issues. He lamented on why people should want his business to collapse just because of envy he is doing great. 
Dr Umeh said he is now relying on the clearance from the IGP that his hands are clean from the allegations against him and his hospital by Mr Solomon Igwe, even as he said he his hospital and business was murdered by that fake news about his personality but he has forgiven all for God to continue to fight his battle relentlessly.   
Already, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has absolved the Medical Director of Victory Children’s Hospital, Onitsha, Dr Oliver Nnamdi Umeh, his staff and Hospital of any involvement in the death of a toddler and daughter of Mr Oliver Igwe in his hospital.
Part of the letter of clearance to Dr Umeh of all evils as alleged by Igwe and co from IGP read: ‘’ ….both first and second post mortem conducted on the instance of the father of the deceased baby that; Alphyxia from 1b respiratory distress syndrome of the new born, a situation that leads to inability of the baby to retain air in the lungs. The ear was apparently removed by rodents, hence the serrated edges of the defect left behind. Histology also shows that the defect arose after death.
‘’Consequently, this evidently resolved the contention as to the cause of death and the severed ear. In conclusion, there is nothing of evidential value linking Dr Oliver Nnamdi Umeh to the alleged crime established in the course of investigation as such, no evidence abound to ground the allegation linking Dr Oliver Nnamdi Umeh, please’’.   

IGP’s clearance was endorsed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Homicide), Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID), DCP Ayim Abraham.

 The Speaker of the Anambra state Children’s Parliament Right Hon (Amb) Edden-Rex Abarah was pained by the situation that he sent an appeal letter to Governor Willie Obiano’s wife Chief Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano. 

Abarrah wrote: ‘’It is in pain and deep trouble inside of me that I write to you ma pleading that you help Mr. & Mrs. Solomon Igwe bring the killer of their new born daughter to justice and by that setting a long lasting example to other hospitals and maternity home to terminate child mortality rate and stop it in just indiscriminate killing of children for selfish reason thank you for your understanding usual cooperation and support’’.
Mr. & Mrs. Solomon Igwe in an effort to get to the root of what happened to their innocent daughter suspected a police cover up and foul play and petitioned the Children of Anambra state to intervene.
The family’s letter to the Anambra state Children’s Parliament as they wrote it read in part: ‘’On the 24th of July 2015 at 11:45pm in the Night my wife put to bed at St. Mary’s hospital Okpoko Onitsha a bouncing baby girl. On 29th of July 2015 the doctor discovered that the child has jaundice. We were letter referred to victory hospital at Onirah Street Onitsha.
‘’We went to the hospital on the 29th of July 2015 and my daughter was admitted. We where to pay sum of Ten thousand five hundred naira only (N10,500) to the casher which I did after which treatment was commenced on the child.
I had a little father and daughter play with my child at 10:00pm that night I left for home living the baby with my wife.
As at 12:00pm that night the doctor called me at home that my daughter is dead. I told him that due to the bad environment which I was leaving I could not risk going out that time of the night promise to be there first thing the next morning of which I did.
‘’Around 8:00am on 30th July 2015 I meet with the doctor he said I quote “we tried all we could but the treatment did not work out go and pay in sum of 5,000 five thousand naira only to the cashier before you can see the corps of your daughter” I did as he instructed and a nurse was told to lead me to the body of my daughter. As we were going I brought cloth to wear the body but getting there I discovered that she was already tired up. I wanted to open up the cloth but the nurse refused saying that the doctor gave instruction that  I should take the corps out of the premises before opening it I persistently refused because I wanted to know if that was really my daughter.
‘’There was a lot of argument and struggling before I was allowed to open the cloth When I opened the cloth I discovered that the ear of my child has been cut off and under the cloth was a pool of blood. I rush to call the doctor he came and said it was not their fault covering up by saying that it was rat that ate the ear of my child that there was nothing they could do about it.
I left the hospital premises and went straight to the police station and made an entry. On that same day the rightful owner of the hospital started pleading with me to close up the case and let him settle me with the sum of 3 million naira only. This conversation was going on in front of the DCO and Inspector of crime. I refused his offer and kept on insisting that they should give me the ear of my daughter. The cinema broke with argument.
‘’On 3rd of august the case was transferred to Awka to the office of the DC who said the man was exempted and that he committed no crime. The doctor brought up the issue of trying to settle me which I declined at the CPS.
We wrote to the IG Abuja he signed the case and signal the headquarters at Zone 9 Umuahia. Police officers at Zone 9 Umuahia went to arrest the doctor but he ran away they caught the second doctor who later confessed that it was sharp object that was used to cut off the ear not rat bite he exempted himself and pushed the blame to the owner of the hospital.
‘’The owner of the hospital (Dr. Oliver Nnamdi Umeh) ran to the court and wrote a petition against me saying that I was the one that came into the hospital and cut my child ear and jaw.
Dr. Oliver Nnamdi Umeh has on several occasions through his accomplice threatening to kill me if I don’t drop the case saying that a SAN petitioned me. He says that if I don’t accept his offer I should go to any length with the case his money will bring him through.
‘’Please in pain of what my child went through before death I have desired to follow up this case to the very end.  I ask the government to help bring the killer of my child to justice’’.