As she lay on the bed at the University College Hospital (UCH), taking deep, painful breaths, Dr (Mrs) Chizomam Ibe, cut a figure of someone battling for her life.
When asked how she became a patient of the University College Hospital (UCH, Ibadan, Oyo State, she alleged a grand conspiracy by some members of her family, in connivance with members of the Nigeria Police to ruin her life and ultimately kill her.
Though the police admitted to Sunday Tribune that Dr Ibe had a case with them, they denied being part of the conspiracy to silence her.
How it all started
According to Dr Ibe, the crisis began when she lost her father.
“He hailed from a polygamous home; his own father (my grandfather), was once a king and he married seven wives. My father’s mother was the first wife. They are from Umuewere Nguru, Ngor-Okpala in Owerri, Imo State.”
Narrating, she stated that before her father died, he had issues with his half-sister, a lecturer and professor at the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Anthonia Okerengwo. She is the first child of the last wife of her grandfather.
“Immediately after the first burial rites for my father which took place in October, when we went home, my father’s sister, that is, Professor Anthonia, told the king to ask my mother to leave all my father’s properties and leave his compound. The king told her it wasn’t possible. This stand was also taken by the sons of the family. The refusal was based on the fact that since she had never been married, and had two brothers, she couldn’t ask for her father’s property. In Igboland, only the men have the right to ask for property. Besides, that could only be done after one year had passed. She, however, insisted that she would have her way,” she said.
‘Thugs beat up members of my family, threatened to set them ablaze’
Following the dust that was beginning to unsettle as a result of the demand that the property be shared, the king distributed notices that no member of the family should attend any meeting to such effect.
“That night the letters of notice were distributed, she came with thugs, who drove in the bus of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The thugs came, beat up my mother and destroyed my father’s house. When I was called, before I could come to my mother’s rescue, and called in the police, they almost destroyed my car.
“When we got to the police station, I was asked to take my mother to the hospital immediately. Unfortunately, my younger sister’s son, whom she had after eleven years of waiting, fell from my mother’s arms, during the fight at the house, hit his head on the tiles, and eventually died. The police arrested four of the thugs. That day was December 30, 2014. The thugs kept coming until January 1. The third day, they came and were so many. During one of their attacks, they attempted to set the house on fire, even with members of my family inside. The traditional ruler was also aware of the situation. The saving grace was God and the police. That night, they nearly burned down the police station.
“All of a sudden, my aunty came and said her younger sister, who came from Abuja, was beaten at the scene of the incident. She also said that her younger sister was dead. I visited the house during the Christmas celebrations, but I didn’t see that her younger sister. Even while we were battling with the case, all those who wrote statements at the Divisional Police Office didn’t mention that younger sister’s name. I was not required to write a statement because I was not at the house when the incident occured.”
‘The DPO had to reach out to the traditional ruler to assure our safety’
“After some time, she brought her mother down to Ibadan to recuperate. The police asked that she inform them when her mother had recovered fully. However, without prior notice, Dr Ibe said policemen from Abuja came to Ibadan and requested to see her mother. At this time, her mother had been taken to Benin to stay with some other family members. She was, however, told by the policemen from Abuja that if she couldn’t produce her mother and sisters, they wouldn’t let her go. Despite what the doctor said to the contrary, her mother was moved from Benin to Ibadan. Her other sister, who lost her child during the fracas, also came from Port Harcourt and another sister, based in Ibadan, also came around. Her mother collapsed when she got to Ibadan and was said to have been rushed to UCH.
Detained at state CID
All the while her mother was being moved to Ibadan, Dr Ibe had been detained at the state CID for three days before her mother came. She was released on bail so she could take care of her mother with the promise that when her mother felt stronger, they should report to Abuja.
According to her, her two sisters, who were arrested in December 2015, were still in prison.
‘Police asked us to pay N300,000; we paid N150,000, yet nothing was done’
The lawyer went to Abuja with a petition stating that the case had been on for a while and that they had not been allowed to state their case. The policeman in charge, when he heard the case, asked a unit to take up the case. A team was set up to investigate the case and according to Dr Ibe, they were asked to pay N300,000 for mobilisation. She was to pay in N150,000 while her in-law was to pay N150,000 as well. She claimed they paid N150,000 into an account provided for investigation into the case to kick off.
“My mother, in-law and sisters moved to the village to await their arrival, only for the policemen to tell us that one of their colleagues fell ill and they had to take him to Asaba for treatment. I was also in Owerri for the start of the investigation because I travelled by night bus. I was in Owerri by 5am. They said they could not continue with the case because they didn’t have enough personnel. I told them we may have to reschedule then. They agreed but said before I left, I should pay the balance of N150,000. I refused because even with the first payment, they hadn’t done anything. The lawyer was also angry. Even my mother who showed up at the police station was almost arrested. That was when I knew something was fishy.”
Detained in Ibadan
In February, while at her clinic, policemen visited her. According to Ibe, one of the policemen was the one whom she had earlier spoken to who had negotiated the N300,000 mobilisation fee. When she told him she recognised his voice as the man into whose account N150,000 was paid, his countenance changed. The second police officer who came with him was also shocked. The second police officer said what the police were told was that they refused to honour the IG’s invitation. He asked for proof and confirmed that the phone number through which the account number was sent belonged to his colleague and that caused another argument. Eventually, she was told that the area commander wanted to see her. She said she didn’t suspect anything because they didn’t come with any arrest warrant, so she followed them willingly. However, she was put behind bars. That was at 7:00 a.m.
“According to the policewoman I met, she said they were going to the headquarters at Eleyele in Ibadan to get papers because the information they got was that I was found wandering the streets. I was shocked. I explained to her and she was quite angry. She called the other officers on duty and they heard my testimony. I was there till evening, until the men from Iyanganku came and expressed displeasure with what was happening. They said they would have liked me to go with them to Abuja but that they were expecting my aunty to send money. I told them that was not possible because they had also collected money from us. My handset was collected and I was abandoned at Iyanganku. Till evening, the next day, which was a Thursday, I was still in police custody.
“Meanwhile, the day before, I had been transferred into the cell with men and all sorts of people. I was pushed to the ground and a fight broke out among some of the inmates and hours later, I found myself in a pool of water outside. The IPOs from Abuja were also there. I was told I fainted. I felt very dizzy and asked that I be taken to the hospital for treatment. They refused and said since I was a doctor, I should prescribe drugs for myself and they would help me get them. I was very weak and they still kept me behind the counter. The officers at the station were reluctant to keep me there, but didn’t have a choice. I lay there on the floor behind the counter till morning. That morning around 5:00 a.m., they came and said they would take me to Abuja. That was when I screamed and told them they wanted to kill me. People shouted and I was moved to the state CID behind the area command and met the person in charge.”
Refused medical treatment
Dr Ibe said she asked to speak with her lawyer and they allowed her. She was still refused medical treatment. She was at the state CID till the next morning which was a Saturday. The policeman on duty said she could appeal to the people selling drinks nearby to help her get paracetamol. Somebody helped her get paracetamol. She begged to be allowed to call her relatives but they said they had handed her phone to the S.O.
“They acknowledged that I did look very sick. I vomited and could not eat. By that evening, I collapsed and passed out at the state CID the second time. I woke up and found myself at the Police Hospital at Eleyele and was told I was rushed there in a policeman’s vehicle. This was after they had poured water all over me. I tried to explain what was happening to the matron in charge. The policeman with me said he would contact Iyanganku and my phone and bag were brought to me. I was only able to reach my relatives on Sunday afternoon.
“Meanwhile, the doctor at the hospital refused to give me any serious treatment because according to him, it was cash and carry and it was discovered when I was brought that I didn’t have any money on me. All they did was to set up drip on debt from the pharmacy. When he asked for my details, I managed to give him and I guess it was probably from my details he decided to attend to me. I was given a referral because, according to the doctor, the test I was supposed to undergo could not be done at the hospital. That was how I was transferred to UCH. This was after almost N15,000 was collected from my uncle. And since then, the policemen have not even cared whether I am alive or dead.”
‘Police attempted to handcuff me to hospital bed’
Dr Ibe narrated further that the plan of the policemen was to cuff her to the bed like a hardened criminal.
One of the officers, she said, came on Friday, February 17th, to place her in handcuffs. This was after she had been in UCH for almost a week. The doctor on duty refused and instead said if they wanted to monitor her movement, they could pick a chair and sit somewhere around.
“As I speak to you, I am dying gradually. The hospital is querying leakage of CSF from my brain and I have undergone so many scans and tests. I have been bedridden since. I was not like this before the policemen visited me that fateful day.
“It is only a few relatives, church members and colleagues who have been around to see how I am doing. The policemen are insisting on taking me to Abuja and I have told them I don’t have a problem with that, as long as I am safe. I have nothing to fear because I am not a murderer. I have done nothing wrong. It is a setup to ensure that my father’s children are intimidated. This is someone who was a bridesmaid during my mother’s wedding.
“My name, Chizomam, means ‘God saves me,’ and I know my God will save me. God will vindicate me and my father’s children. I wasn’t even there when the fight happened. My life is threatened because sometimes, my nurses would call me and tell me not to come to the office because armed men were in the area. My pastor can testify to this. This has happened severally. The police have taken sides. They say the police is your friend, but in this case, I can’t say that is the case. I never refused arrest. Like they say, a clear conscience fears no accusation.”
Dr Ibe wanted for murder –Police
Sunday Tribune, after listening to Dr Ibe’s narration, visited the homicide section of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Force CID, Abuja.
The spokesman of the Force CID, CSP Chike Nwabuwa, told Sunday Tribune that Ibe was one of the prime suspects in the alleged murder of Mrs Katherine Okenrengwo, a deputy Director at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Abuja on December 30, 2014.
He said that two of the suspects involved in the alleged murder had been charged to court and remanded in Owerri prison, while two of the suspects were still at large.
The force CID spokesman told Sunday Tribune that Dr Ibe jumped bail and during each attempt to arrest her, she feigned illness and harassed everyone, including the police and used abusive language on them.
According to him, the police were making frantic efforts to apprehend the other culprits, while the others were charged with conspiracy and murder.
He said that the late deputy director was a half sister to Dr Ibe and that she had travelled to celebrate Yuletide festivities, during which a fight ensued as a result of inheritance of their grandfather’s property.
In the ensuing melee, the police alleged that Dr Ibe carried the bookshelf in the sitting room and hit Mrs Okenrengwo and she fell in the pool of her own blood and before they could get to the hospital she died.
The police claimed she resisted arrest and that nobody is harassing or intimidating her, but all they want is for her to come and state her own side of the case which she has bluntly refused to do and has instead, resorted to blackmailing them.
“Any time we go to look for her, she pretends to be ill, but has written more than five petitions to the Inspector General of Police, and all we want is for her to come and tell us all she knows about the problem.”
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