The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a stay of execution bid by Dr Ngozi Unaogu, Medical Director, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu against the court’s judgment, which sacked her from office and ordered the immediate reinstatement of Prof. Monday Igwe to complete his unlawfully terminated tenure in the office.
This is contained in a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Court issued on July 15, 2026, after Justice E. D. Subilim delivered a ruling on the Stay of Execution Bid, and the CTC was made available to newsmen on Thursday.
According to Barr. Michael Okorie, counsel to Prof. Monday Igwe, the implication of the dismissal of the stay of execution bid is that all official actions, including issuance of appointment letters and award of contracts by Unaogu since Dec. 11, 2025, when the judgment was delivered are null and void.
Okorie further warned members of the public to beware of dealings with Unaogu to avoid suffering the nullity of such illegal actions. He further explained that the dismissal of the stay of execution bid means the judgment remains operative and enforceable.
The development requires President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR to direct the Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare to immediately comply with the judgment in order to uphold the rule of law and to prevent further deterioration of the public health organization.
It would be recalled that the Court had Dec. 11, 2025, delivered a judgment in which it ordered the reinstatement of Prof. Igwe to office as the Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, after he declared the earlier termination of his appointment as null and void and also nullified the later appointment of Dr Unaogu.
The court found that the termination of the appointment of Prof. Igwe did not follow the laid-down disciplinary procedure. Also, the appointment of Dr Unaogu during the pendency of the suit in which she was a party rendered it a nullity. However, several months after the judgment was served on the Defendants, they have refused to comply with the judgment orders, prompting Prof. Igwe, through his counsel, Barr. Michael Okorie, to institute a suit of contempt of court against Unaogu and her co-defendants in mid-April 2026.
