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Tag: Victims

  • Victims of demolished houses march on Oyo secretariat

    Victims of demolished houses march on Oyo secretariat

    Hundreds of residents who are victims of demolition in the Ibadan Circular Road corridor yesterday stormed Oyo State Secretariat, Agodi in a peaceful protest.

    The residents, who came in vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles, also bore placards and sang solidarity songs appealing to Governor Seyi Makinde to reconsider the 500 metres earmarked for the corridor, instead of the initial 150 metres.

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    People from across six local governments, including Lagelu, Egbeda, Akinyele, Ona Ara, Iddo and Oluyole, are affected in the areas the 110km ICR project covers.

    Some inscriptions on their placards read: “Ibadan Circular Road corridor residents appeal to Governor Makknde”, “We gave you votes, you gave us war why?”, “Seyi Makinde, think of future”, “We gave you vote, you returned with house demolition, why”, among others.

  • Reps task NMA, police on ‘treat gun shot wound victims’ directives

    Reps task NMA, police on ‘treat gun shot wound victims’ directives

    The House of Representatives has described as timely and commendable the directive by the Inspector General of Police that hospitals in the country should attend to victims of gun shot wound without first demanding police report.

    The House also asked the police authorities and the Nigeria Medical Association to flower through of this directive to ensure that persons with gun shot wound are promptly attended to in compliance with estant laws.

    In a statement jointly signed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Police Affairs, Hon. Makki Abubakar Yalleman and the House Spokesman, Hon. Akin Rotimi Jr.the House said the new directive and the law should be a subject of public lecture to avoid any form. Of ignorance in future.

    The statement read: “the House of Representatives welcomes the recent publicised signal from the Office of the Inspector-General of Police to various formations and commands of the Nigeria Police Force, on the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act 2017.

    “The internal memo dated October 25, 2023 directed the Officers to comply with the law and enforce its provision without hesitation.

    “Worthy of note in the memo signed by the IGP’s Principal Staff Officer, CSP Olatunji Disu, is the directive to the various police formations and commands to “make the law a subject of lecture” in order to cure the ignorance in many hospitals about the position of the law, which unfortunately has led to the loss of many lives.

    “It is to be noted that issues around compliance with the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act recently became a subject of public discourse following the death of Ms. Greatness Olorunfemi, a brilliant Nigerian who was victim of a _one-chance_ robbery in Abuja on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.

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    “A petition was laid before the House in respect of this incident during plenary on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, by Hon. Chris Nkwonta representing Ukwa East/West Federal Constituency of Abia State. The matter is now before the House Committee on Public Petitions.

    “To be clear, the House maintains that the professional calling of physicians, nurses, and emergency care personnel, as well as dictates of extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, prescribes that every Nigerian brought to any hospital deserves the duty of care, stabilisation, and dignity, regardless of the condition they are brought in, or the apparent cause of the distress or trauma.

    “The House therefore views this development from the Nigeria Police Force as timely and commendable considering rising complaints by Nigerians about hospitals that decline prompt treatment of victims of gunshot incidents, robberies, and even vehicular accidents who do not present police reports.

    “The IG’s action offers relief that value is placed on the life of every citizen, and restores confidence in our hospitals.

    “The House urges the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Medical Association to follow through on this commitment to strict compliance with the Act and prosecute offenders who contravene the same. We also call on the Media and relevant agencies of the Executive Arm of Government to give wide publicity to this matter. “

  • Of quacks and victims

    Of quacks and victims

    If you ever have to undergo surgery at a Nigerian hospital, you may need to play safe by undertaking inventory scan of your body organs before and after the surgery, just so to be sure the organs remain intact. That is the lesson to learn from the experience of the Kamal couple in Jos, Plateau State. The couple has been in the news over alleged harvesting of one of the kidneys of the wife, Kehinde Kamal, by a neighbourhood practitioner who the victim’s husband, Busari Kamal, recently dealt out to the police. The ‘doctor’ is Noah Kekere and the ‘hospital’ is Murna Clinic and Maternity located in Yanshanu community, Jos North council area.

    The police in Plateau State took Kekere into custody after Busari Kamal, a businessman, reported him to the Nasarawa Gwom police division, accusing him of having removed his wife’s right kidney during a surgery in 2018. The surgery Kekere conducted on Mrs. Kamal had nothing to do with her kidneys, but he allegedly invaded that region of her body anyway and harvested one of the vital organs. Kekere reportedly had been practising in the community for more than 25 years and was a favourite of residents who thronged his outfit because he presumably exemplified the Hippocratic Oath: he charged less compared to other centres and even performed some surgeries on credit, if only to safeguard the primacy of life.

    What took the Kamals to Kekere in 2018 was a complaint of severe stomach pain by the wife, upon which she was rushed to the clinic and whereby Kekere diagnosed ruptured appendicitis and advised urgent surgery. Busari Kamal recounted to journalists that he got to know Kekere and his clinic through a medical treatment his mother earlier underwent there: “About eight years ago, my mum was sick, so she was directed to a hospital owned by one Dr. Noah Kekere at Yanshanu, Nasarawa Gwom community of Jos North local government area, and in the process of going to see my mum at the hospital, I got acquainted with the doctor. When my wife fell ill in 2018, complaining of severe stomach pain, my mum encouraged us to take her there because my wife used to follow my mum to see the doctor when she was sick.” The narrative of how the surgery eventually came about was given by Kamal as follows: “We got to the clinic and the doctor did a scan and said my wife had ruptured appendicitis and must be operated on immediately, and he charged us N140,000. When I called some people to ask about the high bill, as I planned to take her to JUTH (Jos University Teaching Hospital), they advised we just go ahead and save her life. The doctor asked how much I had and I said N80,000, apart from other charges for drugs… The day the doctor conducted the operation, he started from 12 noon till 8p.m.”

    That surgery, however, didn’t end maters for the Kamals. “For the past five years, my wife kept complaining of severe stomach pain. I continued to take her to the same hospital because I did not want to change the doctor that started her treatment. But as she continued to have the pains, I decided to go to the Jos University Teaching Hospital, where we discovered that one of my wife’s kidneys had been removed,” the husband said.

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    The organ harvest victim has herself been speaking of her bitter experience. She recalled that she stayed six days at Kekere’s hospital following the purported appendicitis surgery, only to thereafter experience fresh complications: “After six months, the side of the operation started causing me pain. My husband said I should go back to Dr. Kekere to lay my complaint, which I did. He prescribed some medicines for me. After taking the medicine the pain was eased for some time; but not long after, the pain started again.” Kehinde Kamal said she continued reporting to Kekere about the pain at regular intervals. “Whenever I complained, he would either give me some tablets or injections, but a few days after, the pain would return. When I kept complaining, he told me I needed another surgery as another disease was discovered in my stomach and would cost me N60,000. But I thought: what if the second operation was carried out and it was also not successful? I was scared because the first operation was yet to be healed and the doctor was suggesting another one. I then decided to go to JUTH for further consultation.”

    According to Mrs. Kamal, when the outcome of the evaluation at JUTH revealed that one of her kidneys was removed, she at first didn’t even understand what it was all about. “When my abdomen kept paining me, I approached JUTH for further examination of my health status so as to understand what the cause really was. On getting to JUTH, a doctor, after hearing my complaint, thoroughly examined my stomach and asked me to go for scanning. After the scanning and the results were out, the doctor asked me which kind of operation I underwent that my stomach was cut to that magnitude. I told him it was the appendix. The doctor further asked where the first operation was carried out and I told him it was at Murna Clinic. He then disclosed to me that one of my kidneys was removed. Kidney? I asked. I didn’t know what kidney meant, but I quickly called my husband to inform him that the result of the evaluation at JUTH indicated that my kidney was removed.” She added that when the couple confronted Kekere with the discovery, he denied having anything to do with it. After the police were brought in, they ordered that another scan be done at a hospital in Jos South council area, where the result showed same verdict. And it wasn’t that she had any record of surgery before the encounter with Kekere. “I was never in my lifetime admitted in a hospital or underwent surgery until 2018 when I was first operated on by Dr. Kekere. I gave birth to all my four children in JUTH and never had any record of surgery,” she said.

    It is a wonder how Mrs. Kamal has lived on one kidney without even being conscious, so as to take necessary precautions in such circumstance. But Kekere’s credentials do not speak for him and he never should have performed the surgery on her. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), which launched an investigation of the suspect’s credentials after he was arrested by the police, said it has found he isn’t a doctor. “Our records do not show that the person accused is a medical doctor. From what we have at our secretariat and the investigation we have carried out, he is actually not a doctor and therefore not our member” the chair of the Plateau State chapter of the association, Dr. Bapigaan William Audu, told journalists.

    So, if Kekere is a quack, how has he managed to practice unapprehended for more than a quarter of a century? That sheer fact is an indictment of monitoring and standards oversight in the medical profession in Nigeria, and more so the nation’s security establishment. In Kekere’s 25 years-plus of practice, the Kamal woman wouldn’t be his only victim of ambush organ harvesting, if truly the man is into that business. The Kamals must only be the vocal victims. There is need to interrogate the history of medicare by Murna Clinic and ascertain whether there haven’t been strange deaths of ex-patients, or whether all living ex-patients recovered fully from their challenges and are presently in good health. If there have been strange deaths or ill-health complications suffered by ex-patients, it shows the porosity of societal safeguards that these had gone on for many years without catching the attention of security agencies and regulatory authorities of the medical profession. It is bad enough that the standard of medicare in Nigeria is low, it is worse that the system can be predatory without safeguards for hapless citizens.

    A more knotty issue is the legal framework available to the Kamals to pursue remedy. The accused practitioner has been arrested by the police, but what is to be done with him even if proven guilty? Kehinde Kamal can’t have her right kidney back anyway and will have to live on the remaining one. But it is doubtful there are specific legal provisions stipulating the price Kekere should pay if found guilty – both as remedy for the victim and in self-recompense before the law. It is double jeopardy for the victim when there is no law to redress the offence.

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  • Prayers for victims, survivors of collapsed building

    Sympathisers yesterday gathered on the scene of the collapsed building to pray for the victims and survivors.

    The prayers were organised by the House of Prayers.

    Christian and Muslim clerics took turns to pray for the victims, survivors, and their family members.

    House of Prayers said accommodation and money would be provided for them.

    Pupils from other schools also came to sympathise with the survivors.

    The clerics urged the victim’s families, relatives and friends to take solace in God, saying God gives and takes.

    A minute’s silence was observed for the victims.

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), yesterday called on the Lagos State Government to admit pupils of Ohen Private Nursery and Primary School, Lagos Island, in public schools.

    The group said this after donating relief materials to the survivors.

    CSACEFA Acting Lagos Coordinator Mrs. Aderonke Kimemenihia-Eseka said the right to education for the children must not be truncated by safety inadequacy, “which has assaulted our moral sense and has sadly evoked deeper concerns about the role of safety in our educational system.”

    The group, therefore, enjoined the state government to make provision for affected children through the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for immediate admission into public primary schools.

    This, Mrs Kimemenihia-Eseka said, would not make them miss the present school term.

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    The government, she said, should establish more public primary schools to cater for the educational needs of children in communities where private schools appear to be thriving due to the distance of public schools.

    She called for more strict supervision and monitoring of safety guidelines by all schools across the state, especially private schools.

    “A quality assurance seal that must only be handed over to supervised and monitored schools after health and safety audits. We recommend this activity to take place annually. The government should extend the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) model to cater to private schools and strengthening existing SBMCs in public primary schools,” she said.

  • Psychiatrist decries silence of victims, families on rape cases

    A consultant psychiatrist, Dr. Tomi Imarah, has identified the cultural tendency to keep sexual assaults and rape cases secret, as some of the major issues hindering the fight against sex crime.

    Imarah, who runs an online Mental Health Counselling Service, “Dr. Tomi’s Haven”, via her Facebook page, @drtomihaven, spoke yesterday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    She spoke about the commemoration of the 2018 International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women marked yearly on November 25.

    Wikipaedia, an online publication, says: “The United Nations General Assembly has designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Resolution 54/134).

    “The premise of the day is to raise awareness of the fact that women around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence.

    “One of the aims of the day is to highlight that the scale and true nature of the issue is often hidden.”

    According to Imarah, statistics have shown that almost two third of the perpetrators of rape are acquaintances, with one third of these figures being family members.

    “It is disheartening that girls and young women can identify their assailants; yet, these people walk around free.”

  • Our ordeal in kidnappers’ den, by victims

    Three women, who were abducted by four kidnappers, have narrated how they were tortured to pay ransom before they were released.

    The women were kidnapped at spots in Benin City, Edo State by the gang, who posed as commercial bus driver and passengers.

    One of the victims, who gave her name as Faith, said she boarded a bus to Sapele Road while going home, but she didn’t know that the driver and passengers were kidnappers.

    She said she was blindfolded and taken to an unknown place where she was tortured and raped.

    The woman said her abductors demanded N5million from her parents as ransom, adding that N300,000 was withdrawn from her account.

    On how she recognised the suspects, she said they didn’t wear masks on the day they dropped her after spending three nights with them.

    Another victim, Princess Eweka, said she was going home and was on Ekenwan Road when a bus stopped and she was dragged inside.

    She said a male passenger was beaten up and thrown out of the bus.

    Eweka said she was tortured and beaten up, after which her parents paid N500,000 ransom.

    She said she recognised the suspects because they did not wear masks.

    The third victim, who gave her name as Blessing, said the kidnappers snatched her N400,000.

    She said she was abducted on Airport Road and taken to an unknown spot.

    Blessing said she refused to eat while in the kidnappers’ den for four days.

    Police Commissioner Babatunde Kokumo paraded the suspects, namely Ikechukwu Emmanuel, Friday Ihaza, Godspower Ezemene and Okonofua Friday.

    He said the command bust the gang following intelligence report, adding that they would soon be arraigned.

    The suspects said they resorted to kidnapping because of hunger.

  • ‘Don’t shun accident, gunshot victims with no clearance’

    The Police Command in Borno State on Friday cautioned hospitals in the state against denying medical care to accident or gunshot victims without police clearance.

    Edet Okon, Police Public Relations Officer of the command, gave the advice in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

    Okon said that the force would want to correct this erroneous impression of no medical attention for gunshot or accident victims without police clearance.

    “The police is stating categorically that no such clearance is needed before accident and gunshot victims are attended to.”

    “The Command wishes to restate its respect for the sanctity of human lives and urges all medical facilities that receive such victims to expedite treatment to save their lives.

    “However, it is required that cases of gunshots/accidents received by any hospital should, while treatment is ongoing, be immediately reported to the police for follow-up investigation and other necessary actions,”he said.

  • Buhari sympathises with victims of Jos fire

    •President greets pharmacist Wali at 83

    President Muhammadu Buhari has sympathised with victims of the Jos Terminus Market where more than 200 shops were destroyed.

    A statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the president was devastated by the loss.

    He noted that trading and agriculture remains “the mainstay of these hardworking businessmen and women, and every democratic leader would genuinely feel the pains of the victims.

    The statement reads: “I am touched by the economic losses suffered by the victims. The role of these enterprising Nigerians in the economy of our country cannot be underestimated.

    “As you count your losses, I send you my heartfelt commiserations over this devastating disaster. I am confident that your enterprising spirit would help you rebuild your lives. May God replenish you with more prosperity.”

    The president also appealed to the local authorities concerned to take measures to forestall frequent fire incidents.

    Properties worth millions of naira were burnt on Saturday morning when the market caught fire.

    Chairman of the traders association Abdulrahman Yusuf said over 270 shops with property worth millions of naira were destroyed.

    “We have a trader who lost goods worth over N20 million. It is a huge loss and devastating,” he said.

    President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with renowned pharmacist and community leader, Dahiru Suleiman Wali, who turns 83 today.

    A statement by Shehu joined Wali’s family, friends and professional colleagues in celebrating the milestone, which has been lined with many years of achievements and recognitions for his contributions to knowledge and an extensive practice to ensure a healthy country.

    As he turns 83, the President believes the legacy of being your brothers’ keeper which Wali instituted with the community pharmacy, will become the hallmark of pharmaceutical practice in the country, with stronger focus on providing quality health care and safe guarding the lives of the people.

  • Fed Govt pays N135m compensation to victims of 2013 killing by DSS

    THE Federal Government has paid N135 million compensation to the 19 victims of the September 20, 2013, shooting by men of  the Department of State Services (DSS) in an uncompleted building behind the Apo Legislative quarters, Abuja.

    The payment made yesterday by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, on behalf of the Federal Government, was in compliance with the award made in 2014 by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) after it investigated the case.

    A team of men of the Army and DSS had on September 20, 2013 invaded the uncompleted building behind the Apo Legislative quarters, Abuja and shot eight people dead and injured 11.

    The Army and DSS had claimed that they shot and killed the squatters in self-defence. They further claimed that the security operatives carried out the early morning raid on the uncompleted building upon receiving intelligence reports that members of Boko Haram sect were hiding in the building preparatory to attacking government targets in Abuja.

    Upon a petition by friends, family members and relatives of the victims, the NHRC conducted inquiry on the incident, following which it released a report of its findings and recommendations on April 7, 2014.

    The NHRC, in its report, declared that the killing of the eight, who were later identified as tricycle riders, was “unlawful”.

    The commission, in the 83-page report, awarded N135 million as compensation to the 19 victims of the incident, which included the award of N10 million each to families of the eight people killed and N5 million to each of the 11 that sustained injuries.

    NHRC equally directed the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to lodge the evidence of payment with the commission’s office within 30 days.

    The commission noted that contrary to claim by the security operatives that those killed were members of Boko Haram, they (security operatives) did not even interview those injured after the shooting to establish their connection or otherwise to the sect.

    NHRC noted that before the operation, the security operatives ought to have interrogated the owners of the property where the squatters were killed.

    It said contrary to claim by the security operatives that arms were hidden in the uncompleted building,  no arms and ammunition were shown to have been recovered from the property, where the squatters were killed.

    Malami, while presenting a cheque of N135 million to representatives of the victims in his office yesterday, said the eventual payment was a result of negotiations by parties.

    He said: “I am glad to inform you that the NHRC has received the payment from the DSS and the process of payment of the money to the beneficiaries starts today.

    “I am further glad to inform the public of this gesture, the first of its kind in Nigeria, coming from President Muhammadu Buhari, which is confirming his commitment to the rule of law, upholding justice and respect to human rights.

    “This gesture also confirms his (President’s) enduring legacy of ensuring that justice is seen to be done to every Nigerian.”

    In-coming Executive Secretary of the NHRC Tony Ojukwu said the final payment of the compensation was commendable.

    He said NHRC ordered the DSS to pay the compensation in furtherance of its powers under the commission’s amended Act.

    He added: “In fact, under Section 6(4) of the NHRC Act 1995 (as amended), it is now an offence punishable with imprisonment for six months or N100,000 to refuse to provide evidence, obstruct or do anything to prevent the commission from lawful exercise of its functions or refuse to comply with the lawful directives, determination, decision or findings of the commission.

    “It is in fulfilment of its mandate that the commission exercised its powers to make a finding of gross human rights violation of the victims of this incident and accordingly awarded the present damages of N135 million against the DSS.”

    Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter Chairman of the National Commercial Tricycle Owners and Riders Association (NACTOMORAD), Usman Buba Gwazo, who spoke for the beneficiaries of the compensation, hailed the NHRC for its efforts.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Offa robbery: Lawyer donates N500,000 to victims

    EX-Governorship candidate of defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) in Kwara, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, and Ibadan lawyer Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) have condoled with the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mohammed Muftau Gbadamosi, on the robbery in the town.

    Fagbemi, who described the attack as a national disaster, donated N500,000 for treatment of the injured.

    According to him, the hoodlums’ aim is to dampen Offa’s resilience, but he said the attack will rather strengthen the ancient town’s resolve to be more united, focused and rise above adversity.

    He promised to assist with plans to provide adequate security to Offa and its environs.

    Fagbemi said: “It is with a heavy heart that I write to commiserate with your Royal Majesty, the Olofa-in-Council, families of the victims and the people of Offa over the unfortunate April 5 robbery.

    “The attack, coming at a time when Offa had enjoyed relative peace and accelerated development due to your purposeful leadership, has cast a dark cloud over Offa and the country. Offa is not just a cosmopolitan town; but home to people of diverse origin and culture.

    “Personally, my history will not be complete without Offa, which provided me with the foundation of a glorious career. As a prince of Ijagbo and an alumnus of Offa Grammar School, my commitment to the development of Offa and its environs cannot be over-emphasised.

    “In the spirit of the ancient tradition of Offa, we, as a people, shall ‘wrestle’ all that seeks to divide us.

    “In view of the above, I shall make available my widow’s mite as a token of love for the treatment of the injured.

    “Kabiyesi, the incident is most regrettable but I don’t want you to see it as a loss only to Offa town, but as a national disaster and a dent on our collective humanity.”

    Abdulrazaq, on his own part, said: “It is with deep sorrow that I commiserate and grieve with the Nigeria Police Force, the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi (Esuwoye II) and the people on the attack.

    “This attack is not the first, thus I urge the government to emulate other states by providing effective and complementary support to the police to tighten security and protect life and property.

    “I also enjoin the police to work assiduously to bring the perpetrators to justice soon.”