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Gunmen Kill Medical Doctor In PH
A medical doctor, Florence Onua has been shot dead by gunmen around GRA axis of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Onua was on her way home from work when the gunmen struck, over the weekend.
Until her death, Onua was a Consultant Family Physician at the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH) in Port Harcourt.
The Public Relations Officer, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Rivers State chapter, Justice Ohaka, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, yesterday, said the victim sustained several bullet wounds.
He disclosed that the doctor died at the Emergency Ward of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), where doctors had battled to revive her.
According to him, “this trend has become worrisome. For how long will doctors continue to be targets in our society? The government has to do something about this”.
Ohaka expressed worry that the killing of Onua happened when the association was yet to know the whereabouts of another medical doctor, Bob-Manuel Clark.
He also challenged security agencies, especially the police, to quickly swing into action to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly crime, and bring them to justice.
The NMA’s image maker also charged the police to ensure the rescue unhurt of Bob-Manuel Clark, and ensure that similar incidents are not allowed to repeat in the state.
When contacted for comments, Rivers State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, yesterday, confirmed the incident, and assured that men of the command were making efforts to track down the killers of the medical doctor.
Omoni disclosed that the police command has put mechanism in place to track down the killers of the late female doctor, adding that efforts were being made as investigations had begun on the matter.
He, however, said that no arrest had been made in that regard, adding that the police were on top of the situation.
The Rivers police image maker averred that the family members of the deceased had refused to provide police with detailed information on the matter, as they only reported the matter on the fateful night, and left, without follow-up.
“There is no serious follow-up from the victim’s family. They only came that night and reported the matter, but we asked them to come the next day to officially report the matter. But since then, they have not come back ”, Omoni told The Tide in an interview.
“We are really on top of the situation, but as at now, no arrest has been made. We also deployed our crack team to the scene of the incident that night,” he added.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.