A 35-year-old medical doctor, Emmanuel Okolo, who allegedly slapped a nurse working in his hospital, was on Thursday brought before an Epe Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State.

Police Prosecutor Moses Oyekanmi, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Wednesday, at 2 a.m. at Awoyaya hospital in Ibeju-Lekki.

The police charged Okolo, who lives at Epe area with one-count of assault.

Oyekanmi said Okolo argued with Dorcas Adeyara, who was a resident nurse in his hospital over the state of a patient’s room and during the course of the argument, he slapped her across her face.

“My Lord, the accused caused serious bodily injury to the complainant. He slapped her just because she worked for him. He should be punished for it,” he said.

The offence contravened section 172 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. (Revised)

The offence of assault attracts three years’ jail term.

After he pleaded not guilty, Magistrate O.A. Fowowe-Erusiafe, admitted him to bail in the sum of N50,000.

She ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed with evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

Fowowe-Erusiafe adjourned the case until Aug. 19 for trial, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Recall that the Punch had reported that the medical doctor allegedly summoned the 23-year-old into his office and ordered her to kneel down.

When the victim refused, 35-year-old Okolo was alleged to have dealt her several slaps and also flogged her with a belt.

Adeyera, in her report to the medical director of the hospital, said she was humiliated by Okolo.

The report read in part,

“Around 2am, there was an emergency outside the hospital. I stepped out to have a clear look at the patient, who was said to have been involved in an accident and already fractured a bone in his left leg.

“The patient was conscious and alert; no obvious respiratory distress, but seemed to be in severe pain. I went back inside the hospital to notify the doctor on call, Dr Okolo Emmanuel, and immediately went back to move the patient inside the hospital.

“On getting there, I noticed that my colleague, who is a registered nurse and midwife, had already offered the patient a stretcher and the man’s relatives were trying to get the patient on it. Then, I noticed that the patient and his relatives were Hausas, and the people that brought him in a car were just helpers. Immediately they dropped the patient on the stretcher, they zoomed off.

“Back inside the hospital, Dr Okolo, who had been to the emergency room, saw the patient being carried towards him. He suddenly got angry and asked why the nurse didn’t allow him to see the patient first before bringing him into the hospital. He pointed at me, blaming me for it and said I should get out of his sight, which I did immediately; only for him to get angrier and ordered the patient to be taken out of the hospital as he was not ready to attend to him.”

She said the doctor instructed her to ensure the order was carried out.

Adeyera said she left for the pharmacy after asking the patient to leave the premises.

“I left for the pharmacy with the hope that the patient’s relatives will source a means of leaving, only for the doctor to come in a few minutes later and dragged me into his office.

“I was shocked and tried to remove my hands from his hold; but he was too fierce.

“In his office, he told me to get down on my knees (kneel down) to which I declined as it was against the ethics of my profession to do that in uniform. He gave me the first hard slap and repeated his order; I refused and called my colleague for help.

“I tried to get out of his office, but he dragged me back and reached for his belt and started flogging me until the security men and my colleague came and tried to hold him. He said I was rude and he was not my age-mate.

“I tried explaining to the security men what had happened, but he did not allow me to speak out. He reached for the sphygmomanometer and was about using it to hit my head when the security men took it from his hand and another round of slaps on my cheeks followed. This time around, I fell on the floor and he started punching me, she added.