- Police arrest, prosecute embattled medical practitioner
The controversial death of a day-old baby in a hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State, has led to the arrest and prosecution of the owner of the hospital who allegedly drowned the baby in a canal reports KUNLE AKINRINADE.
Ludele Olanrewaju, a medical doctor based in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, is under interrogation over his alleged complicity in the death of a day-old baby in his hospital.
According to insiders, the baby was delivered by one Mrs. Bose John, a Togolese labour migrant who resides in Moniya area of Akinyele Local Government Area, Ibadan.
It was said that the woman registered for antenatal care at His Mercy Hospital owned by Olanrewaju but was delivered of a baby boy at home before she could be taken to the hospital for delivery a few days ago.
Olanrewaju said to have been called on the phone by the woman’s neighbours, following which he rushed to the scene and took the new baby and his mother away for ‘special treatment in his hospital.’
Trouble however started when the doctor declared the next day that the baby had died and that he had disposed of his body in a bush.
Outraged neighbours and residents were said to have confronted the doctor after he failed to name the exact place where the baby’s body was buried.
The medical doctor was dragged to the palace of a traditional ruler in the community and subsequently handed over to the police at Moniya divisional headquarters.
A leading member of the Togolese community in Ibadan identified simply as Ibrahim said the medical doctor could not identify the spot where the baby’s body was buried when he was led to the area by detectives.
He said: “Bose John came to Nigeria to work and earn money so that she can have enough money to assist her husband because she was expecting her new baby in seven months from when she arrived around May 2023.
“She first worked at Seme border in Badagry, Lagos State, where she said she was paid peanuts hence her brother took her to Moniya town in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, where she started working with a local canteen operator, Mrs. Munira Fataou.
“When Munira Fataou realised that Bose was pregnant, she took her to HIS MERCY HOSPITAL on old Oyo Road, Moniya, where she started attending weekly antenatal treatment.
“However, on Thursday, December 28, 2023, Bose started experiencing signs of labour, and before she could be moved to the hospital, she was safely delivered of a baby boy.”
Ibrahim said further that Dr. Olanrewaju was promptly informed by Bose’s neighbours and he visited Bose and evacuated her and her baby to his hospital against protestations by the people around who felt that there was no need to move them to the hospital since Bose has been safely delivered of the baby.
“They (neighbours) now called the doctor (Olanrewaju) to inform him of the good news. About 30 minutes later Olanrewaju came to Mrs. Munira’s house where Bose was delivered of the baby and immediately began to wrap the boy in clothes.
“Mrs. Munira and others in the house asked where the child was being taken to and Dr. Olamnrewaju said that the child and the mother needed to be treated for an undisclosed medical condition.
“All the people in the house were against Dr Olanrewaju’s decision to evacuate the newborn and his mother to the hospital.
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“Mrs. Munira even explained to the doctor that there was no money to pay for any treatment, but the doctor insisted, saying he was only trying to help and did not need to be paid for treating Bose and her baby.”
Ibrahim said the matter took a dramatic turn the following day as Dr. Olanrewaju declared the baby dead and claimed to have buried his body without informing Bose or her family members and neighbours.
He said: “When Dr. Olanrewaju took the child and the mother to his hospital, they were put in separate wards. However, Mrs. Munira was in the hospital to see the doctor, but he was said to be unavailable at the time she visited.
“The following day, Friday, December 29, 2023, Mrs. Munira visited the hospital again and met the doctor, who told her to go home and prepare tea for Bose. She did as the doctor directed.
“Shortly after, Dr. Olanrewaju again asked Mrs. Munira to go home and prepare Amala, a local delicacy, for Bose to eat. Again, she complied.
“Thereafter, Mrs. Munira asked the doctor how the baby was doing only for the doctor to reply that the baby had died and that he had thrown its remains away.”
Ibrahim said the matter was first reported at the palace of the traditional ruler of Moniya, Oba James Odeniran, who asked that the case be reported to the law enforcement agents who are statutorily empowered to investigate such matters.
It was learnt that the case has since been transferred from the Moniya Divisional Police Headquarters to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of Oyo State Police Command, where the embattled medical doctor is being detained for proper investigation of the case.
He was said to have explained that the corpse of the baby would emitt offensive odour if he had kept it in the hospital.
It was gathered that detectives attached to the state police command led Dr. Olanrewaju to a location in the forest where he claimed to have dumped the remains of the baby but nothing was found there.
Ibrahim said: ” On December 31, 2023, Dr. Olanrewaju was asked to take the police detectives to the location where he claimed to have dumped the baby. He took the police around Akinyele Local Government Area bushes where there was no sign of any baby dumped there at all.
“When Dr. Olanrewaju was asked why he dumped the baby in a bush, he said there would be unpleasant odour if he had left the baby’s body in the hospital.”
Meanwhile, it has been alleged that Olanrewaju, who is being accused of being a fake doctor, drowned the baby in a canal.
He has since been arraigned by the police in a Family Court at Iyaganku, Ibadan on a three-count charge of impersonation, abduction and murder.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Gbemisola Adedeji, told the court that Olanrewaju committed the offence on December 28, 2023, at His Mercy Hospital, Akinyele, Ibadan.
Adedeji said the “fake doctor” took the baby boy delivered from his mother without her consent and drowned him in a canal.
Adedeji also told the court that Olanrewaju falsely presented himself to the mother as a qualified doctor to defraud her and to defraud other members of the public.
The offences, according to Adedeji, contravened the Criminal Codes of Oyo State (2000) and were punishable by three years imprisonment for impersonation, 14 years for abduction, and a death sentence for murder.
The court ordered that the 50-year-old ‘doctor’ be remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre for allegedly causing the death of the newborn.
The presiding magistrate, Mrs. O.O. Ogunkanmi, did not take Olanrewaju’s plea for lack of jurisdiction.
The presiding magistrate asked that the case file be forwarded to the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) of Oyo State Ministry of Justice for legal advice.
She adjourned the matter to March 4 for mention.