Commission re-arraigns Lagos cosmetic surgeon
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has re-arraigned a cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Anuoluwapo Adepoju, popularly known as ‘Dr Anu’ for allegedly obstructing investigation into complaints of failed surgeries.
Adepoju was arraigned alongside her firm, Med Contour Services Ltd, before Mr. Justice Mohammed Liman sitting at the Federal High Court, Lagos, on five counts amended charge brought against her by FCCPC.
The agency alleged that Dr Anu failed or refused to appear before it in compliance with a summon as required by law between April 15 and May 4, 2020, at No. 72a Ladi Alakija Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
“Failure to produce documents in compliance with the Commission’s Notice of Investigation as required by law” and “impeding, preventing or obstructing the Commission’s investigation,” it said.
According to the Commission, her offences contravened 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.
Following her plea of not guilty to the charge, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Babatunde Irukera, who is the Director-General of FCCPC, told court that the agency was ready for trial as the two witness were present in court.
Led-in-evidence by Irukera, the first prosecution witness, Mrs. Suzzy Onwuka, an FCCPC staff narrated to the court how defendants failed to appear before the agency sometime in March and April 2020. Onwuka told the court that the Commission received complaints from people who reportedly suffered adversely from the activities of the defendants, adding that she made false advertisements about her work.
“When the FCCPC began investigation, we could not locate the defendants’ place of business at its advertised address. She gave false address as her office, MedContour was found at another address.
“Then the FCCPC wrote to the surgeon, notifying her of the investigation and requested that she should provide documents to the commission. The notice of investigation was issued on April 14, 2020. Dr Adepoju failed to comply. Hence, the notice was pasted on MedContour’s premises,” she stated. Onwuka further told the court that the commission however pasted a summons to the defendant on the same address, requesting that she should come to the commission but she failed to comply.
The prosecution therefore tendered the document, which includes a statement issued by the FCCPC on the said investigation, photographs, a letter by the Nigerian Medical Association to the FCCPC found on the defendant’s Instagram account, various letters and emails to the FCCPC, as well as three bundles of complaint questionnaires.
The court admitted the documents as exhibits and subsequently adjourned cross-examination and further hearing to October 14, 2020.FCCPC had sometime in April, sealed the defendant’s office (Med Contour), a plastic surgery hospital, over suspicion of illegal activities.
The FCCPC had on its official website declared it was investigating allegations that the surgeon’s services resulted in the death of one Mrs. Nneka Onwuzuligbo, among other complaints.
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