A Lagos court has sentenced Dr. Anuoluwapo Adepoju, a cosmetic surgeon, to one year in prison.
This ruling came after a failed plastic surgery she performed on Nneka Onwuzuligbo in 2020.
Justice Muhammad Liman of the Federal High Court in Lagos delivered the verdict on Friday, reviewing the evidence presented by both the prosecution and the defense before making his decision.
Dr. Adepoju was also given the option to pay a fine of N100,000 instead of serving the jail term.
The surgeon and her clinic, MedContour Services Limited, faced charges from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
They were accused of not cooperating with an investigation into complications from the surgery, as Dr. Adepoju was first arraigned on July 17, 2020, and pleaded not guilty. She was released on bail.
Despite her attempts to dismiss the charges, Justice Liman ruled on April 7, 2022, that there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
On May 5, 2023, Dr. Adepoju testified in her own defense. After reviewing the case, the court set June 21, 2023, as the date for final arguments.
The prosecution argued that Dr. Adepoju did not respond to FCCPC summons for an investigation into the failed surgery. She also allegedly failed to provide necessary documents for the investigation.
Beyond Boders further reports that the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) accused Dr. Adepoju of professional misconduct. They claimed she continued to perform surgeries even after her facility was shut down by health authorities.
LUTH reported that Nneka Onwuzuligbo was sent to them in critical condition by Dr. Adepoju, under false pretenses.
Dr. Adepoju’s actions were found to violate several sections of the FCCPC Act, 2018, leading to her conviction and sentencing.
