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3-day-old baby stolen from Plateau hospital found, reunites with
parents
The Management of
Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos, on Monday, handed a baby (Gift Chukwuebuka),
which was stolen ten days ago to her parents.
We reported
that the baby, which was delivered on May 28, 2019, was stolen barely three
days after she was delivered (May 31, 2019), by a woman who claimed to be a
medical personal in the aforementioned hospital.
Presenting the
child to the parents; the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr Philemon
Golwa, said, “Today is not a day of mourning, but a day of celebration;
celebration of a life that was thought to have been lost, but now has been
found.
Golwa said when the
management was informed about missing of the child, “we were worried and we
went to the police and had a meeting with them and they did their work and
recovered the baby.”
The CMD said he was
under pressure from different quotas to speak about the incident, but was very
careful not to contradict himself; “But we thank God that today we have to
celebrate.”
“Any baby that comes
with circumstances like this, such baby turns out to be great in the society
and that is why we need to tell the world what has happened.
According to the
CMD, the police invited him and other staff on duty when the incident happened
to the station, “some were even put behind the counter, we had to do all that
we could do to bring them out.
“As God will have
it, last Thursday, we had a big breakthrough, the baby was found and the person
that did the technical work of snatching the baby from here to another hospital
also had to confess, she admitted to her fault and we have left that one to the
police.
“Why the police
have not been able to say anything now is that they are working to demystify
the mystery behind how the baby was taken from the ward finding to another
hospital, so, I think they are still doing their work and I cannot stop them.
The CMD further
explained that the incident occurred during the visiting hours of the Hospital
(between 4-6pm).
Golwa assured that
the management has taken more stringent security measures to ensure that such a
thing never happens again.
He added that
people coming to the Hospital must adhere to some procedures that may sound
strange to them.
The CMD also said
the Medical bills of the baby would be settled by the Hospital and they would
be doing a follow-up, even if they are discharged.
Responding, parents
of the baby, Mr. and Mrs. Chukwuebuka, thanked everyone for ensuring that their
baby was found and returned to them safely, especially the media and security
operatives.
Photos: Family fight over right to bury body of a Nursing officer who
died 11 months ago in Jos
The remains
of Ms Lois Yusuf Davou, a Chief Nursing Officer at the Jos University
Teaching Hospital (JUTH) who died eleven months ago is yet to be buried as her
children, her late husband's family and the man she was dating before she
passed on, are fighting over the right to give her a befitting burial.
The controversy
started many years ago when Lois began having an affair with a married
pastor, Yusuf Davou. The Sun reports that their relationship resulted in
the pregnancy of their first child, Benjamin. Despite the opposition of the
church to their relationship, Lois and Yusuf decided to start a proper home.
Yusuf abandoned his first family after he was suspended by the church and moved
into an apartment with Lois. There they had two more children, 19-year-old
Ephraim and 1 year old Ruth. Lois's parents were vehemently against their union
and refused accepting the brideprice Yusuf offered so he could legally get
married to Lois.
Unfortunately, Yusuf
passed on in 2007, leaving the children behind with their mother. His family
disowned Lois and their children, saying they were not recognized by their
family.
Years after, Lois
found love again in the arms of one John Dominic who paid her dowry and married
her properly. She however died on June 21st 2018.
The task of burying
the deceased became a daunting one as the hospital management said they
could not release the body of the deceased to Dominic as the deceased wasn't
bearing his name before she died. They also could not release her entitlements
to him. Dominic who had already bought a coffin and planned to bury Lois
immediately, had to halt his plans.
Her son, Benjamin
then came in to retrieve his mother's corpse for burial. After much
discussions, he was informed by the hospital's administrator, Bitrus Ali, that
he must present a letter from the family of the late Yusuf Davou, before her
remains can be released to him. He was also directed to clear the debt of
his late mother at the cooperative society of JUTH. It was said that before her
death the hospital owed her three months salaries but only N20, 000 and N18,
000 respectively were allegedly sent to the family from her salary amounting to
about N300, 000.
Confused by the new
development, Benjamin instructed his lawyer, L. E. Anyia to write a letter
to JUTH, December 17, 2018, to plead with the hospital authority to release his
mother’s body for burial. The hospital alleging that there are three families
fighting over its ownership, refused and claimed that they need to know who has
the legitimate right to bury it.
In a bid to address
the issue, Benjamin in company of one of his aunts, paid a visit to Stephen
Davou, the elder brother of his late father. Stephen gave Benjamin the
permission to bury his mother. Arguing that he didn’t know anything about the
relationship between his brother, Yusuf and Lois because he was away from home
and recently retired from civil service before he came home and was briefed
about the affairs, Stephen initially promised to follow Benjamin to the
hospital for clearance the following day to enable him bury his mother. But few
hours later he reneged, noting that he was going to bury his late brother’s
wife according to Berom tradition.
Following the
continuing controversy, the hospital management set up a committee over the
matter. Benjamin, Stephen Davou and Dominic John were invited during their
sitting and they all agreed that Lois’ body should be released to Benjamin for
burial. It was also resolved that the woman’s entitlements be given to her
children.
Not satisfied with
the committee’s recommendations, JUTH authorities dragged Stephen Davou Jang,
John Dominic, Benjamin Davou, to Plateau State High Court, Jos, through its
counsel, K.M.G Pwul, praying the court to decide who among the three is
entitled to be given her remains for burial. They also wanted the court to
determine who among the defendants is entitled to the benefits accruing and due
to the late Lois Davou Yusuf.
But in a
counter-motion, the deceased woman’s children arguing that the state high court
lacks the jurisdiction to adjudicate over the matter as the JUTH is a federal
institution dragged the authorities and other parties involved to Federal High
Court, Jos. Along the line, the parties, having exhausted the legal options,
agreed to settle out-of- court with the children demanding N15 million as
damages for time wasted and the trauma they suffered. But so far the hospital
has refused not only to pay the amount but to also release Lois’ body for
burial.
Speaking on the
controversy surrounding the burial of the deceased, the elder brother to late
Yusuf Davou, Steven Davou, said he initially agreed that not only should
the woman’s body be released to her children to bury anywhere they like but
that also her entitlements should be given to them.
“It’s true that the
children belonged to my late brother, so we wanted to bury their mother
according to our tradition but the children refused, insisting that they want
to go and bury their mother in Kwol, Maingo,” he said. “It was when they took
me to court that I disowned them. I don’t want to have anything to do with
them. I was working to bring them back home but they are not thinking in that
direction. The first son said they were born in a boyfriend-girlfriend
relationship, so I don’t have anything to do with them. The corpse should be
given to them with their mother’s entitlements.”
Also speaking, the
second husband of the deceased, John Dominic, says he has agreed with JUTH to
release the body to the children for burial so that Lois's spirit can rest
in peace.
“I don’t know what
is still delaying the burial up till now,” he said. “I had wanted to do the
burial. I had dug a grave, bought coffin and prepared everything but JUTH
refused to release the corpse to me arguing that she does not bear my name.
JUTH took the matter to State High Court for determination of who is the right
person to release the corpse to but the children went to Federal High Court to
challenge the jurisdiction of the court to attend to the matter. They later
withdrew the case and opted for out-of-court settlement. I am not interested in
the entitlement of their mother. I was only interested in the burial of my wife
but since the children said they want to bury their mother, I have given them
the permission to do that, the corpse should be released to them.” he said
On his part,
Benjamin says he does not know why the hospital management is yet to release
his mother's body to him
“I don’t know why JUTH
has not released the corpse. I don’t know when the Director of Administration
will give me the body for burial,” he said. “The case has gone to court and we
opted for out-of-court settlement but up till now, there is no cheering news
from them. I am sad that my mother is 11 months now in the mortuary; there is
no reason whatsoever for her body to be kept for that long. I am the first son.
They should give me the body of my mother to bury. I am pained that I lost my
mother at this age and my pain is compounded by the controversy that was
introduced in the plans for her burial. As we speak now, I don’t know what the
body looks like in the mortuary. I am begging that the body of my mother should
be given to me for burial.” he said
The Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong has
moved to reduce the influence of the paramount ruler of Jos, Da Jacob Gyang
Buba, known as the Gbong Gwom Jos.
The state government ordered the carving out
of two Traditional Councils from Jos Traditional Council. The two new councils
are to be known as Jos North and Riyom Traditional Councils.
This was revealed in a memo written by the
Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dayyabu Garga, to
the chairmen of Jos North and Riyom Local Government Areas.
In the memo, copies of which were made
available to journalists yesterday in Jos, the government stated that all the
graded chiefs, district heads, village heads and their staff, who are from both
local government areas, should henceforth constitute members and staff of the
newly created traditional councils.
The memo explained that Governor Lalong’s
decision was in compliance with Section 91(1) of the 2016 Local Government Law,
adding that Section 91(3) of the law also states that the most senior
traditional rulers in each local government shall be presidents of Jos North
and Riyom Traditional Councils, respectively.
Earlier, Governor Lalong had created new
chiefdoms and upgraded some, including the Anaguta Chiefdom in Jos North and
that of the Aten of Ganawuri in Riyom.
Reacting yesterday, Da Gyang Buba said he
remained the paramount ruler of Gbong Gwom Jos.
Speaking to Daily Trust through his media
aide, Alex Rwang Pam, Gyang said: “The position of Gbong Gwom Jos was the one
gazetted and nothing has altered the provisions of that document.”
Pam went down the memory lane to explain that
the position currently being occupied by Da Jacob Buba was first
institutionalised as Sarkin Jos on August 28, 1947, explaining that it was much
later that the Berom people re-coined the name to their own language “since
‘Gwom’ means ‘Sarki’ in that language.”
Land tussle: Group decries
police harassment, seeks FG’s intervention
Sequel to the continuous harassment, arrest
and detention of its workers by the Policemen, a Non-Governmental Organization
(NGO), Faith-Based AIDS Awareness Initiative has cried out to the Federal
Government for justice and intervention, by coming to its aid.
The organisation through its Executive
Director, Pastor Folororunsho Oloruntunde, narrated its ordeal on Thursday in a
chat with journalists in Jos.
Oloruntunde said, “We are tired of police
harassment, arrest and detention over a plot of land that belongs to us and we
are begging the federal government to call the Management of Police Staff
College, Jos, to order.
“We bought the piece of land close to Police
Staff College in Jos from the natives, who testified in court and judgement was
entered in our favor five years ago, yet the police is harassing us, “ The
director lamented.
Oloruntunde disclosed that just last Monday
three of the labourers working at the NGO’s Headquarters site were arrested and
detained at Bukuru Police Division on the order of the Commandant of the Police
Staff College.
He explained that on February 27, 2014,
Justice Christy Dabup of the State High Court VII gave an order to the Police
not to harass, arrest, detain and disturb us from continuing with our
construction.
“But in spite of court order, the same police
arrested, detained our boys and even sued us before a Bukuru Senior Magistrates
Court, which on Oct. 21, 2015, struck out the case for last of merit.
“We have written to the Inspector General of
Police (IGP), the Commandant of Police Staff College and the Plateau State
Commissioner of Police on the issue and attached the court’s verdicts for their
understanding.
“It’s five years now that the police did not
appeal any of the court verdicts, yet they blatantly refused to allow us to
roof the building, “ he pointed out.
In a letter to IGP dated May 13, 2019, the
NGO intimated him of the continuous harassment, arrests and detentions as well
obstruction of its work on its headquarters building by the Police College
management.
“The attached are judgments delivered by
courts of competent jurisdiction restraining further disturbances, but this
morning (May 13, 2019) we are surprised that the police came with a Hilux and
arrested 3 innocent workers at the site.
“This act has been traumatizing and wasting
our hard earned resources since 2013. This complaint is for you to use your
good offices in letting the law prevail and prevent further violation.
“Since 1994, Faith-Based AIDS Awareness
Initiative (FBAAI) has been contributing significantly to peace and health of
Nigerians in most communities, “ the letter read.
Chief Gregory Pwajok, Gwom Kwata (Village
Head) of the area, faulted and condemned the action of the police staff college
authorities.
“My subjects sold the land to the NGO, which
has gone to obtain R of O from the Plateau State Ministry of Land and Survey.
“ If the college claims the contrary, let the
authorities show the world its papers for the land. In fact, no compensation
has been paid by the Federal Government on the entire portion the college is
built upon.
“It’s surprising that they are claiming
ownership of the unfenced land to the college.,” Pwajok lamented.
Reacting to the allegations raised, the
college’s Deputy Commandant, CP Rabiu Yusuf, refused to comment on the issue on
the guise that the matter is before a court of Law.
Yusuf, who spoke through the College’s Public
Relationships Officer (PPRO), Solomon Utuumu I. Nyou, said, “l can’t speak on a
matter that is already in court.”
When asked who sued who in which court in
spite of the earlier two court judgements issued in favor of the NGO, he simply
said, “l don’t know but that’s what l was instructed to tell you, the press.”
