Lagos begins trial of two doctors over patient’s death

At the Lagos State Ikeja High Court, which is presided over by Justice Oyindamola Ogala, two physicians, Michael Atiba and Michael Ugbeye, are on trial for the death of a patient, Ejiro Ugorobi.

PUNK Metro discovered that the doctors were charged by the Lagos State Government on March 25, 2024, for their claimed roles in the involuntary manslaughter of the deceased patient. Both doctors entered not guilty pleas.

Atiba, a physician at the Gbagada General Hospital, and Ugbeye, a consultant at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, are accused of involuntary manslaughter by the Lagos State Government, according to the prosecution's attorney, A. O. Azeez.

He revealed that Atiba and Ugbeye were accused of committing involuntary manslaughter, which is against Section 224 of the Lagos State 2015 Criminal Law, and that the incident happened on October 21, 2023, at Michael Adekoya Street, Ilupeju, Lagos State.

Nkechi Ugorobi, the mother of the deceased, testified during the prosecution's first witness cross-examination that on September 9, 2023, the deceased had gone to play football for exercise when he fell and hurt his leg.

I have only one son, Ejiro. Originally trained as an electrical engineer, he entered the field of marketing finance at the age of 29. He is my conversation partner, buddy, and advisor. Ejiro went to play football for exercise on September 9, 2023, and he fell. He called me and told me that he had fallen while playing football,” she said.
She continued by saying that the deceased had told her that he needed to see Ugbeye, the physician at Morningside Specialist Hospital, for treatment because of a major injury that included a swollen leg. His damaged ligament was later confirmed by additional testing.

"He informed me that it was serious when I questioned how awful it was. He informed me that he needed to see a physician at Morningside Specialist Hospital, which is owned by Ugbeye, the second defendant, since his leg was swollen. He called me the next day to say he needed to conduct some tests. She went on, "The test revealed that he had a ruptured ligament.

She revealed that the deceased was working from home throughout this time, and he told her that the swelling was going down and he was feeling better. But she added that one day he stated that he required more testing, including blood work, and that even though the swelling had gone down, he was still in agony and could not walk without limping.

"He wasn't going to work during this period; he was working from home," she stated. When I asked how he was doing, he informed me that he was feeling better and that the swelling was decreasing. He informed me that a longer test, including a blood test, was necessary. Later, he informed me one day that the swelling had come down but that he was still feeling pains and walking with difficulty, limping.”
She added that Ejiro had informed her that he would be having a non-invasive surgery, and that day, October 21, 2023, he would have his sister with him. Following the procedure, he stated that everything went well, but he felt queasy due to discomfort. She revealed that his leg felt extremely heavy and that his temperature was fluctuating between hot and cool. When he woke up, he complained of palpitations, weakness, and shortness of breath. She reported that shortly after the surgery, he passed suddenly.

He informed me that he intended to get an MRI in October. I assured him that you would be alright and that if the MRI was required, he should come so I could take him to some of those locals to get his leg massaged. However, he declined. He informed me that he would be undergoing a non-invasive surgical procedure. I'm using his words.

The procedure was performed by Ejiro on October 21, 2023. Ejiro and his older sister went to the hospital. He informed me that they had already arrived at the time of his surgery. He called me thereafter to inform me that the surgery went well and the physician performed an excellent job, however the injection they gave him was disturbing him, and that his stomach was disturbing him. He also said he felt like vomiting, that he was feeling cold and hot and that his leg was as heavy as iron. After some time, he said he was feeling sleepy. That was the end of my discussion with him.
When he woke up, I talked to him, and he informed me he felt weak and experiencing palpitations and shortness of breath. That's when Ejiro went dead. He died following his surgery on October 21, 2023,” she said.

Justice Ogala then delayed the case to November 20, 2024, for trial and cross-examination of the prosecution’s second witness.