Lukman Olabiyi
The scheduled trial of a Lagos-based cosmetic surgeon, Dr Anuoluwapo Adepoju, whose services allegedly resulted in the death of one Mrs Nneka Onwuzuligbo, was stalled on Thursday before the Federal High Court in Lagos as the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Liman, did not sit.
The court’s registrar said the case had been adjourned till a date to be fixed.
Adepoju was arraigned last Friday on five counts, in which she was accused of blocking a probe into the circumstances leading to her client’s death.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, which is prosecuting the surgeon, accused her of shunning summons by the agency to appear and produce certain documents.
Adepoju was charged alongside her Med Contour Services Limited.
In a six-paragraph affidavit of completion of investigation attached to the charge sheet, the FCCPC 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.”
It said, “In particular, the above-mentioned Vivian Onwuzuligbo, a member of the Mrs Nnneka Miriam Barbara Onwuzuligbo (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 prosecuting counsel for the FCCPC, Babatunde Irukera, said the incidents 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.
But Adepoju pleaded not guilty to the charges.