Lagos Assembly probes 13-year-old boy’s alleged missing intestine
The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the case of a 13-year-old boy, Adebola Akin-Bright, whose small intestines were reportedly missing.
The committee set up by the Speaker of the Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has the Majority Leader, Noheem Adams, as chairman.
Other members are Temitope Adewale, Steve Ogundipe, Surajudeen Tijani, and Lawal Aina Musibau.
Obasa, who commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for visiting the boy on Sunday, described the Governor’s action as a reflection that the government was responsive and caring.
“It shows the Governor is caring for him to have visited the mother and the child at the hospital and the promise he made which gives hope. It is commendable,” he said.
Obasa, however, said it was important to have a system in place to ensure a structure that curtails any challenge that affects institutions in the state adding that it was, therefore, necessary to get to the root of the problem.
In his position, the Deputy Whip of the House, David Setonji, thanked the Speaker for calling the attention of the lawmakers to the issue, adding: “We need to look more into the health sector of the State.”
He noted that the House had taken pragmatic steps to pass a law on organ harvesting and that the law has an important role to play in the progress of the state.
On his part, Gbolahan Yishawu noted the importance of the law on organ transplant adding that organ theft is another area that can be looked into.
While urging the House to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the case, Olanrewaju Afinni recalled how, through an ad-hoc committee, the House had been able to unearth more information concerning the elevator accident that killed a medical doctor some weeks ago.
Sa’ad Olumo applauded the courage exhibited by the mother of the boy for calling the attention of Nigerians to her plight.
Contributing, Desmond Elliot commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for displaying a sense of true humanity and service.
He supported the probing of the issue adding: “We have so many people who cannot voice out. Thank God the woman did.”
Also, Oladipo Ajomale, who appreciated the Speaker for sharing the video of the woman’s cry with all the lawmakers at the weekend, also appreciated the Governor for visiting the patient.
He urged the National Assembly and other state legislatures to ensure implementable laws on organ harvesting.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, on Sunday, pledged to cover the medical care and expenses of the 13-year-old boy, Adebola Akin-Bright, whose small intestines were reportedly missing.
Sanwo-Olu made the announcement on his profile on X (formerly Twitter) when he paid an ‘unscheduled visit’ to the boy and his mother at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital,
The governor also mentioned that he’ll ensure Adebola gets better and reunites with his loved ones.
He said, “I paid an unscheduled visit to Debola Akin-Bright at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
“After listening to Debola’s mum and the medical officers in charge of his care, I gave him my word that I would not only take over his medical care and expenses, I would also ensure that everything is done to get him better, and back at home with his loved ones.”
The boy’s mother, Deborah Abiodun, had pleaded with the governor to probe the disappearance of her son’s small intestines, which according to her, occurred while the boy was receiving treatment at LASUTH.
However, the hospital management denied the allegation in a statement made on its profile on X, on August 12, 2023.
In another statement issued on September 3, 2023, the hospital management further clarified its stance on the issue.
The statement read, “Once again, the hospital management needs to clarify issues on the insinuations being made by a mother in a viral video that the alleged loss of her son’s intestines after surgery is a matter between a private hospital and LASUTH. Our hospital is an excellent tertiary institution with highly knowledgeable and skilled medical consultants.
“We are also equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. The patient in question was referred to our hospital after having two surgeries carried out in a private hospital.”
It read further, “He required extensive optimisation in our facility before a corrective surgery could be carried out. At the surgery, which was carried out by an experienced pediatric surgeon and her team, certain strange findings were discovered. There is a video clip of these intraoperative findings. The mother was informed about these findings but she appeared to be in denial.
“The hospital is in possession of a comprehensive report of the findings by a high-powered panel that it quickly set up to look into all ramifications of this case.
“Clearly, our hospital carried out a corrective surgery and did not willfully remove any organ or structure. We empathize with the family of the patient. We believe that financial assistance from any quarters will be in order but we do not think that a blackmail of the state government via social media is the best approach.
“The hospital management is cooperating with the state agency which is already investigating this rather unfortunate case.”
