The National Industrial Court in Abuja has dismissed a stay of execution application filed by Dr Ngozi Unaogu, Medical Director, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, against a judgment that sacked her from office.
Justice Emmanuel Subilim, in a ruling, also ordered the immediate reinstatement of Prof. Monday Igwe to complete his tenure as MD.
Justice Subilim held that the applicants failed to establish any special, exceptional, or compelling circumstances to warrant the exercise of the court’s discretion in their favour.
Unaogu and her co-applicants had sought a stay of Justice Subilim’s judgment which declared as unlawful, null and void the purported termination of Prof. Igwe’s appointment.
The judge held that evidence before him showed the claimant still had about three years and five months remaining before the expiration of his tenure.
He further held that Igwe had successfully proved his case against all the defendants in the suit marked: NICN/ABJ/130/2024.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Dr Unaogu, through a motion marked: NICN/ABJ/23M/2026, asked the court to stay execution of the judgment pending the hearing and determination of her appeal.
Other applicants in the motion were the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare; the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
They also include the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF); the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu.
Although the ruling was delivered on July 9, its certified true copy (CTC) was sighted on July 16, 2026.
The judge, in the ruling, held that Unaogu’s application was “incompetent, contemptuous and a blatant attempt to run out the clock on the respondent’s reinstatement.”
“On the whole, the application for stay of execution is hereby dismissed, and a cost of N500,000 is awarded against the applicants,” Justice Subilim ordered.
Reacting to the ruling, counsel to Prof. Igwe, Michael Okorie, said with the dismissal of the application, all official actions taken by Dr Unaogu since December 11, 2025 when the original judgment was delivered, including the issuance of appointment letters and award of contracts, are null and void.
He said the dismissal of the stay of execution motion implied that the judgment remains valid and enforceable.
