NRC Director placed on administrative bail over assault on doctor

The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has placed the Director of Operations of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr Niyi Alli on administrative bail over an alleged assault on the Principal Medical Officer of the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta, Lagos State, Dr Chukwuweike Ojeah.

Speaking to the Tribune Online exclusively, the Secretary and Head of Legal Department, Mr Obiorah Emedelibe stated that the corporation is awaiting the outcome of an investigative report by the police.

According to Mr Emedelibe, “Mr Niyi Alli is currently on administrative bail from the police after giving statements under caution.

“We are awaiting the outcome of the police report to take it up from there. Our Managing Director is currently out of the country but we hope to settle this issue since both parties live inside the same compound. This is a family affair and we hope to settle it as one big family.”

It would be recalled that Dr Chukwuweike Ojeah was said to have been hospitalised after he was allegedly attacked by Mr Niyi Alli.

It was gathered that Ojeah was returning home from work last Friday when he was almost run over by Alli’s Sport Utility Vehicle. After protesting the incident, the senior railway official allegedly attacked him with a stun gun.

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Not done, the NRC director allegedly hit the doctor, causing lacerations on his face.

While the doctor bled from the head and nostrils, his assailant was said to have called a senior police officer, ACP Alimi Adegoke, on the telephone to arrest him.

After the officer arrived at the scene, Ojeah introduced himself as a senior doctor at the FMC, at which point both men reportedly left in their respective cars. Ojeah was said to have reported at the NRC Police Command headquarters before being admitted to hospital.

The management of the FMC, in a petition to the Managing Director of the NRC, which was obtained by an online news medium, SaharaReporters, called for an investigation into the incident.

The petition, dated October 18, 2019, was signed by the Assistant Director, Administration, FMC, Mr H. E. Etim.
It read, “After a short service at the Emmanuel Anglican Church behind the CCECC plant, Ojeah walked to the main road beside the Loco gate by the Central Mosque so as to access public transport to his residence within the railway compound.

“He flagged down a tricycle and negotiated the fare to where he was going. During that process, an SUV drove towards his side and was about to run him over and he exclaimed, ‘What kind of thing is this?’

“The occupant of the vehicle came out and Ojeah identified him to be Mr Niyi Alli (Director of Operations, NRC).

“The said Mr Niyi Alli struck him with a stun gun and hit him on his face, leading to lacerations to his nose and eyebrow. He now put a call to someone, who came in a vehicle and was identified as the Area Commander, Alagomeji, NRC Command, Nigeria Police Force, ACP Alimi Adegoke.

“That Mr Niyi Alli ordered the area commander to send for his men to pick him (Ojeah) and lock him up.

“At this point, Dr Ojeah introduced himself with his identity card as a fellow public servant serving with the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta. On hearing this, they (Alli and Adegoke) abandoned him and took off in their vehicles.”