Enugu State High Court has adjourned a high-profile defamation case between senior nurse Afam Ndu and Dr. Ngozi Unaogu, Acting Chief Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Enugu, to September 25, 2025. The adjournment comes after the defendants filed an application at the Court of Appeal challenging their committal to prison for contempt of court.
During the hearing, the defendants’ counsel requested an indefinite adjournment, citing the pending appeal. However, the plaintiff’s counsel opposed the request, arguing that the defendants were attempting to delay the proceedings and avoid complying with the court’s ruling. The plaintiff’s counsel also pointed out that the defendants cannot enjoy a bail bond while appealing against the committal order.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Ngozi Oji ruled that the court has no option but to adjourn the case pending the outcome of the appeal.
“An application having been filed at the Court of Appeal, my hands are already tied. I have no option than to adjourn to the 25th of September, 2025 for transmission of the verdict of the higher court,” the judge stated.
The case dates back to 2017 when Ndu sued Dr. Unaogu and three other consultant psychiatrists for defamation. The doctors had accused Ndu of rape, murder, and possessing fake certificates, which the court found to be baseless. In 2021, Justice E. M. Egumgbe awarded N2.5 million in damages to Ndu. The doctors’ appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in April 2025, but the hospital’s management failed to comply with the judgment, leading to the contempt proceedings.
