From GRASS To GRACE: "Before You See Nneoma Nnadi, You Must Get Permission From The Commissioner

I have learned again never to look down on people, no matter the age and class. I have learned too that conditions of life change. No one should ever brag with this life because it is not static. It changes.



Life is like a spinning drive. When it spines, those at the up, go under while those under roll up and it keeps moving like that.

That is how I view life now after my encounter with the policemen who were assigned to guard Nneoma in the hospital. Nneoma Nnadi is the the 10-year-old house girl whose Madam drilled a nail into her skull and made her go through a lot of torture.


People who wanted to see her while in the hospital were prevented to do so by an order from the above. Before you see her in the hospital, you must get a written permission from the Commissioner of police. You will be screened thoroughly to know your motive of seeing her. If it is flimsy, you will be denied access to her.

I didn't know about this outstanding order. Moreover, I didn't go to ParkLane Hospital to visit her. I went for a general hospital visitation with my church's visitation team. We visited Parkland Hospital in Enugu.






On that very Sunday, I went with my church's hospital visitation team to ParkLane. As usual, after Sunday services, we move to different hospitals to pray with the sick and, at the same time, share the words with them. We didn't end there, we have little gift items like toilet tissue, bathroom slippers, detergent and beverages. We share to them according to need.

We got to Parkland Hospital and moved from one hospital Ward to another. We came to a particular unit and I noticed a heavy deployment of security operatives. I didn't take it for anything. We continued moving. Anybody can come to the hospital; so I thought.

I forgot to mention that when we go to any hospital for visitation, we divide ourselves into groups and assign each group units to visit. Some will go to children's ward, some will go to burns, some will go to maternity wards, others to general wards and so on. We do this so that we will be able to tour everywhere and still meet up on time.






*Image credit: Author (road to maternity unit and medical students' hostels in Parklane hospital, Enugu).

So, the other team who went towards the ICU came back to join my group and said the policemen barricaded the unit that was assigned to them and didn't allow them go closer.

When I asked why? One of them said he heard that the girl who was nailed on the head was in the ward.

Immediately I heard this, I was jerked from from my foot. That is the kind of news a journalist likes to hear.

I decided to go by myself. After all, I am a Pastor's wife, a woman of God. I asked them to point to me to the direction where she was kept. They pointed and I took to go along with me, two well looking members.

As we approached to the field, towards the upstairs where she was kept, we were blocked by two police men. They asked us why we were here? I told them we are visitation team from so so Church.

"Sorry Madam, you can't enter to see anybody here now. There is no patient here now". He said.

I told him I am not here to see any patient but to pray for patients. We had a long argument. Two other policemen came to join them.

They asked me to show them a permission note from the Commissioner of Police. I was taken aback.

"Before anybody can see Nneoma Nnadi now, the person must get a written permission from the Commissioner of Police" The Policemen told us.

They said we could present any gift we have to her through them. So, I handed the police over the gifts the team had for the little girl. They returned the gifts after scrutinizing the items. I asked why and they said the gifts didn't meet up with the standard.

As I was going home, the word standard kept ringing on my head.

Members of the hospital visitation were screaming in amazement as we drove back home. We were all baffled how we couldn't go near the building where she was receiving treatment.

Little Miss Nneoma Nnadi is now rated with standard. Two months ago, she was just an ordinary battered maid. Today, she is assigned bodyguards and under the Commissioner's custody.

It is just grace. It is a case of grass to grace.

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Meanwhile, I have constantly put out calls to the hospital through the nurses, asking after the little girl. The last time I called, I was told that Nneoma has been discharged from the hospital. She pulled through the torture and she is now back on her feet.