The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State has convicted a medical doctor and founder of MedContour Services Ltd., Dr Anuoluwapo Adepoju, who conducted a failed plastic surgery that resulted in the death of one Nneka Onwuzuligbo in 2020, FIJ reports.
This was disclosed by a former Director-General of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Babatunde Irukera on Friday.
In his tweet, Irukera, tweeting as #TundeIrukera, wrote, “Today is a day of pride for me that I prosecuted Anu Adepoju and her medical practice. Though I’ve left, the case has ended in a conviction strengthening the accountability framework for all in society, professionals or otherwise. This is how society should work and grow.
“Dr. Anu Adepoju and her medical practice convicted in all 5 counts charged by FCCPC. The wheel of justice may grind slowly, but we must see it through. What we need are enforced with audacity and the will to prosecute competently and diligently. Good day for consumers of professional services.”
In his ruling, Justice Mohammed Liman found her guilty and gave her the option of paying a sum of N100,000, instead of the jail term.
Liman convicted her on all five counts brought against her by the FCCPC, in which the prosecution alleged that the first defendant failed to appear before the commission about an investigation into a reported failed plastic surgery.
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She was also alleged to have failed to show up, in compliance with the commission’s summons dated April 15, 2020.
The prosecution also alleged that without sufficient cause, the convict refused and failed to produce documents she was required to produce in compliance with the commission’s notice of investigation dated April 14, 2020.
Adepoju was alleged to have prevented and obstructed the FCCPC from carrying out its investigation into the matter, saying it contravened sections 11(1)(a), 33(1)(a), 110, 113(1)(a) and 159(4) of the FCCPC Act, 2018.
In July 2020, the management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, urged the Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Investigation Panel to investigate Adepoju’s alleged professional misconduct following the surgery on Onwuzuligbo.
The hospital management lamented that the medical doctor had continued to perform surgeries despite that her facility was sealed off by the Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, adding that the victim suffered severe respiratory distress and septicaemia with infected surgical wounds.
The first prosecution witness, Susie Onwuka, an official of the FCCPC, said in July 2020 that the commission received a series of complaints from Adepoju’s customers between March and April 2020, adding that efforts to probe the allegations were allegedly frustrated by the surgeon.
In an interview with Vivian, a sister of the deceased, she claimed her late sister had “difficulty in breathing within 24 hours after the surgery performed on her by Dr. Anuoluwapo of Med Contour. She was put on oxygen by the nurses at Med Contour.”
In 2020, PUNCH Online reported that the FCCPC arraigned Adepoju on five counts pressed against her before Justice Mohammed Liman.
The FCCPC accused the cosmetic surgeon of shunning summons by the agency to appear and produce a certain document.
(PUNCH)
