Imo: Doctor takes twins as payment for unpaid hospital bill, police initiate investigation

The Imo State Police Commissioner, Aboki Danjuma, has ordered a probe of the Medical Director of Goodwill Maternity at Obinze in Owerri West LGA of the state, Silas Nwamadi, who allegedly seized twin baby boys delivered at his hospital over the mother’s inability to pay the hospital bill.

The police commissioner also ordered the immediate release of the twin boys, Chidindu and Chijindu, who were held at the maternity since May 4, after being delivered via a cesarean section, due to their parents’ inability to pay the medical bill.

The CP, who gave the order at the command headquarters in Owerri, the state capital, on Thursday, stated that the medical director of the maternity, who conducted the delivery of the babies, admitted to asking the nursing mother to give him the twins in exchange for the unpaid hospital bill but claimed he said it jokingly.

“The medical doctor admitted before me that he had ‘jokingly’ asked the 19-year-old mother of the twins, Precious Okere, to hand over the children to him,” the CP said.

Describing the statement as a serious one, the CP instructed his men to investigate the matter.

He scolded the medical director for his lack of empathy toward the children and their 19-year-old mother, even after some compassionate Nigerians offered to cover the delivery bill.

The Newsmen  gathered that the CP learned about the issue through the grandmother of the twins, Mrs Ngozi Okere, who had been at the maternity with the twins and their mother since May 4. She had petitioned the CP on Wednesday, alleging that the Medical Director had been pressuring her and her daughter to give him the twins in exchange for the bill—a claim the 19-year-old mother confirmed to the CP.

It was further gathered that on Wednesday, some compassionate Nigerians, led by activist journalist Chidiebube Okeoma, went to the maternity to secure the release of the twins and their mother, but the doctor increased the bill.

Okeoma told Newsmen that all attempts made by the concerned Nigerians for the doctor to accept the initial bill went unheeded.

Instead, the nurses allegedly fought with the 19-year-old mother of the twins and her mother.

The children’s grandmother reportedly lost her phone, sustained injuries and was assaulted along with the nursing mother.

Okeoma added that he had previously advocated for the release of the children, who had remained nearly six months at the maternity, calling on well-meaning Nigerians who responded by making financial contributions.

At the time of filing this report, the doctor was seen at the Scorpion Squad Unit of the police command giving a statement.