Mother seeks justice over son’s death following routine knee surgery

A 65-year-old mother, Nkechi Azike Igogori, is demanding justice for the untimely death of her only son, Ejiroghene Chimere Igogori, a 29-year-old Fintech marketer and Chartered Financial Analyst.

Ejiro tragically passed away on October 21, 2023, following a minor knee operation at Morning Side Specialist Clinic in Lagos, Nigeria.

Mrs Igogori alleged that her son’s death was a direct result of negligence, unprofessionalism, and a lack of empathy from the medical staff involved in the surgery.

She accused the clinic’s owner and Medical Director, along with two other medical officers – an anaesthetist and a surgeon – of contributing to the circumstances that led to Ejiro’s avoidable death.

Ejiro, a graduate of Electrical Electronics Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, had sustained a meniscal tear in his left knee while playing football. He was referred to a doctor at Morning Side Specialist Clinic, where he underwent an MRI and was subsequently scheduled for surgery.

Mrs Igogori expressed her concerns about the necessity of the surgery, as Ejiro’s knee had shown significant improvement in the weeks leading up to the operation. Despite her reservations, Ejiro decided to proceed with the surgery, a decision that tragically led to his demise.

In the wake of her son’s death, Mrs Igogori filed a petition with the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, seeking a thorough investigation and prosecution of the medical personnel involved.

She believed that justice for Ejiro would serve as a deterrent to negligent medical practitioners and prevent further avoidable deaths.

Mrs Igogori described her son as her best friend, confidant, and advisor, and his loss had caused immeasurable pain to her and her family.

She alleged that an anaesthesia overdose and the subsequent mismanagement of the adverse effects caused Ejiro’s death.

“Ejiro’s death was entirely avoidable,” she said. “If not for the incompetence, ineptitude, carelessness, and insensitivity of the medical officers, he would still be alive today.”

Mrs Igogori’s appeal for justice has attracted significant attention from the public and media, with many expressing their support for her cause.

When contacted, one of the accused medical officers said he would not speak since the case was already in court.