A US-based Nigerian doctor, Dr. Onyekachi Nwabuko has reportedly been arrested after slapping his patient repeatedly.
The 44-year-old who is an emergency room doctor was apprehended in Florida last week after the police stated that he repeatedly struck a semi-conscious female patient using the patient’s own hand because he believed she was faking a seizure.
Officers of the Leesburg Police Department responded to a 911 call at 8:00 a.m. on February 16. The caller alleged that there was a possible battery at the University of Florida Health Leesburg Hospital emergency room.
When the police arrived at the scene several members of the hospital’s staff confirmed that Nwabuko unnecessarily struck a patient multiple times in the face.
The suspect was charged with three counts of battery, court records cited by Law&Crime show, Nigeria Abroad reports.
One of the nurses told the police that Nwabuko often judged a patient’s consciousness by laying the patient on their back, holding their hand a few inches above their face, and letting the hand drop. The patient “will either move or stop their hand to prevent it from striking their face.”
When the patient tried to stop her hand from hitting her face the suspect repeatedly used her hand to strike her face in three separate instances, each time using more force.
When Nwabuko returned to the examination room a second time, he again used the patient’s own hand to strike her in the face several times.
“I’m sorry, I have to do this, or I will have to intubate you.” Nwabuko allegedly said while hitting the victim.
The victim also told the police that though she was semi conscious during the incident she clearly remembered the accused forcefully hitting her.
Nwabuko was taken into custody and processed at the Lake County Jail in Tavares. He was released after he made a bail of $3,000 in bond (about N1.7 million). He will be arraigned on March 3.
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