Absence of Justice Mohammed Liman from the court on Thursday stalled the scheduled trial of cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Anuoluwapo Adepoju, whose services allegedly resulted in the death of one Mrs Nneka Onwuzuligbo, before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The court’s registrar the adjournment of the case to a yet-to-be fixed date.
The cosmetic surgeon was arraigned last Friday on a five-count charge bearing on blocking a probe into the circumstances leading to her client’s death.
The body prosecuting Adepoju, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, has accused her of shunning summons by the agency to appear and produce certain documents.
Adepoju was charged alongside her clinic, Med Contour Services Limited.
FCCPC said in a six-paragraph affidavit of completion of investigation attached to the charge sheet, that 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.”
The Commission added, “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.”
FCCPC prosecuting counsel, Babatunde Irukera, said the incidents happened between April 15 and May 4, 2020, at No. 11a Ladi Alakija Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
The prosecutor said the accused cosmetic surgeon acted contrary to Sections 33(3) (a) and 113(4) (a) of the FCCPC Act 2018 and liable to be punished under Sections 33(3) and 113(1) of the same Act, among others.
But she pleaded not guilty to the charges.