Posted on: Wed 16-02-2022

Activities at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) were temporarily disrupted, yesterday, as members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) protested the killing of their member, Dr Otote Osaikhuomwan, aged 36.

Osaikhuomwan was reportedly killed in the compound he stayed in Ugbor area of Benin City in the presence of his pregnant wife in the early hours of Monday.

The killers were said to have gone straight into his apartment and shot him in the chest region before going away with some items.

He was of the Department of Ophthalmology. President of the ARD, Dr Elamah Ikpemimoghena, who broke down in tears, said insecurity has been one of the reasons for brain drain.

He said: “This is a very unfortunate incident, it came to us as a rude shock and it boils down to the general insecurity in the state and the country at large.

“Something that we have always complained about, something that has made a lot of our colleagues reconsider their stance in working in Nigeria.

“We call on the relevant authorities to ensure that they bring the perpetrators to book and give justice to our friend, our brother, a hardworking, calm fellow. Somebody that we know cannot hurt a fly, we don’t know why this happened to him but we hope that God will grant the family, the department and everyone here in UBTH and NARD the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”

The Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Bello Kontongs, who confirmed the killing, said the division where the incident happened has commenced preliminary investigation and would transfer their findings to the state command.

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