Commission arraigns doctor over alleged professional negligence

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has arraigned a Lagos-based cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Anuoluwapo Adepoju, whose services allegedly resulted in the death of one Mrs. Nneka Onwuzuligbo.

Adepoju, alongside her hospital, Med Contour Services Limited, was arraigned for allegedly obstructing investigation by the FCCPC into the case.

In the five count charge pressed against her before Justice Mohammed Liman, the FCCPC accused the cosmetic surgeon of shunning summons by the agency to appear and produce certain documents.

In a six-paragraph affidavit of completion of investigation attached to the charge sheet, the commission said it received complaints against Adepoju from one Marlene Oluwakemi, Taiwo Temilade and Vivian Onwuzuligbo that the surgeon’s services “are unsafe for consumers,” and that she made “false, misleading and deceptive representation in relation to the marketing of their services.”

“In particular, the above-mentioned Vivian Onwuzuligbo, a member of the Mrs. Nnneka Miriam Barbara Onwuzuligbo family (now deceased) alleged that the deceased died as a result of the failed defendants’ cosmetic surgery and she is privy to the events that led to the demise of the deceased,” the charge reads. 

The prosecuting counsel for the FCCPC, Babatunde Irukera, said the incident happened between April 15 and May 4, 2020 at No. 11a Ladi Alakija Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

Irukera said Adepoju acted contrary to sections 33(3)(a) and 113(4)(a) of the FCCPC Act 2018 and was liable to be punished under sections 33(3) and 113(1) of the same Act, among others.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the five counts.

Justice Liman admitted her to bail on self-recognisance in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and adjourned till July 9 for commencement of trial.

Earlier in the proceeding, the judge dismissed a preliminary objection by the defence counsel, Marian Jones, challenging the validity of the charges and the court’s jurisdiction to entertain them.