Rivers Doctors Granted N2m Bail in Manslaughter Case

A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt granted bail in the amount of N2 million to two medical doctors facing trial for alleged manslaughter.

The doctors, Dr. Jude Okpani, a gynaecologist (1st defendant), and Dr. Isiah-Tunde Akinlade, an anaesthetist (2nd defendant), were charged by the Rivers State Government through the Ministry of Justice with two counts of manslaughter and negligence.

The charges stem from the death of Rebekah Tamunotorukubu-Sekidika, who died on February 2, 2024, at a clinic in Port Harcourt. The defendants are accused of causing her death by failing to administer the correct dose of local spinal anaesthesia during a medical procedure, which led to a ruptured uterus.

This act of negligence is alleged to have resulted in her death, contrary to section 325 of the 1999 Criminal Code of Rivers State.

When the charges were read to them in court, the two doctors pleaded not guilty. Their counsel, C.T. Walter, made an oral application for bail, which was not opposed by the prosecution counsel, Christiana Tombari Bodo, a Senior State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice.

However, Bodo requested that the court impose stringent conditions for the bail due to the sensitivity of the case.

After hearing from both the defence and prosecution counsels, the trial judge, Justice Jumbo Stephens, granted bail to the two accused doctors in the sum of N1 million each.

The court also required two sureties for each defendant, who must be the Chairman and Secretary of the Nigeria Medical Association, Rivers State Chapter. Additionally, Justice Stephens instructed that the sureties provide two passport photographs, with their addresses verified by an official of the court. The sureties were also required to deposit photocopies of either a valid driver’s licence, international passport, or voter’s card in court.

For the accused persons, Justice Stephens said, “The 1st and 2nd defendants, who have just been admitted to bail, are also to deposit two copies of their passport photographs with the registrar of this court. These are the bail conditions.”

Justice Stephens adjourned the case to January 20 and 27, 2025, for a “definite” hearing.

Miss Rebekah Tamunotorukubu-Sekidika, who was 24 years old at the time of the incident, was a first-class graduate in Microbiology from Benson Idahosa University in Benin, Edo State. She had been preparing for a trip to the United Kingdom to pursue a master’s degree when the tragic event occurred.