While her reign lasted, Dr. Anu Adepoju’s clinic in Lagos was the place to be for cosmetic surgery. Ladies stormed the place for liposuction, hips, butt and breast enlargement. Suddenly, stories of badly done surgeries started emerging. At a point, a lady allegedly died after a cosmetic surgery in the clinic. Thereafter, the clinic was shut and Anu arraigned in court.
Adepoju Anuoluwapo, a Lagos-based doctor, has been suspended by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) from medical practice after she performed cosmetic surgery on a client who later lost her life as the procedure allegedly failed.
This indefinite suspension has been approved by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) who welcomes the Medical and Dental Council’s decision to impose interim measures suspending Dr. Anuoluwapo Adepoju indefinitely from practicing medicine pending full and final disposition of disciplinary proceedings.
The news was confirmed in a statement on Monday by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
“Every action whether interim or final that prevents the risk of injury to patients/consumers and or mitigates the pain and suffering of citizens on account of injury by manufacturers or service providers is an important component of a larger effort to protect citizens.”
The commission further stated that it finds MDCN actions on the doctor commendable and noted that the suspension would persist pending the full disposition of disciplinary proceedings.
In April, Nigerians on Twitter called for the arrest of Adepoju after a failed operation on a Twitter influencer known as Omohtee.
Some other patients also complained about having complications that they still suffer from and it was reported that one particular patient eventually died after being operated upon by the doctor.
LUTH also petitioned the medical panel following the death of one of Adepoju’s patient who had complications during a cosmetic procedure.
The federal government had also arraigned the doctor before a high court in Ikoyi while her facility was shut down.
“The initiation of robust consumer protection regulatory intervention in the case has catalysed other relevant and appropriate action.
“The Commission commends and appreciates the stellar and robust work, as well as timely disposition in resolving this case in a manner that respects and protects the rights of the service provider, specific citizens who have become otherwise dissatisfied with the services they received, and the public at large.
“This is a demonstration that the system works and can endure, as well as inure to the benefit of society. Whether patient care or good manufacturing, ultimately, the highest responsibility is to consumers.
“We as regulators must hold producers and providers accountable to that obligation. Other regulatory actions continue in due course.”
The regulatory body’s sanction on Anuoluwapo comes after she had defended herself and blamed the complications suffered by the deceased patient on her disobedience of post-surgery rules.
Now for those who may not know, the subject, Dr. Anuoluwapo Adepoju runs a medical facility which lately has been enmeshed in controversies of botched cosmetic surgeries, and in some cases, death allegedly from complications of the surgeries. Popularly known as Dr. Anu Fella or Sisi Anu, her outfit, Med Contour carries out cosmetic surgeries like liposuction hips, butt enlargement and breast augmentation, has been called out a number of times.
At the centre of her controversies, and in each episode, her seeming boldness postures her readiness to go headlong with the aggrieved friends and allies of the women who patronize her clinic for body enhancement procedures. In what appears to be the aftermath of a botched surgery in 2019, the doctor was arrested and taken to Panti Police Station for questioning but was later released under controversial circumstances. In fact, it was widely reported that she shut her facility last year and went underground, after “killing” a beauty queen due to complications of a failed surgery.
A friend of the deceased had claimed that Dr. Anu conducted the surgery on the late beauty queen same year she graduated from medical school and started her internship. But just a month after her release, Dr. Anu Fella re-opened Med Contour clinic, released spiteful statements on her social media handle, absolving herself of any wrongdoing, claimed victimization and blamed LUTH for killing her clients since in her own understanding, they fail to manage the patients who suffered complications of the cosmetic surgery she performed on them.
That particular incident would open a can of worms for Dr. Anu, giving way to outrage and series of complaints leading up to her recent arrest on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Her trial kicked off on July 3. The medical doctor was dragged before the court by the FCCPC over allegations that the cosmetic surgery carried out by her led to the death of one Mrs. Nneka Miriam Barbra Onwuzuligbo. The agency accused her of obstructing investigation of the case.
The agency also accused her of disregarding several directives to her to appear before the agency and produce certain documents. Back in April, the FCCPC had shut her clinic. The agency initiated investigations of the clinic after receiving petitions against her. According to the charge sheet, “Dr. Anu, without sufficient cause, failed or refused to appear before the FCCPC in compliance with the Commission’s Summons dated 15th day of April 2020.”
Dr. Anu was also accused of making false claims about her services to prospective clients. In a six-paragraph affidavit of completion of investigation attached to the charge sheet, the commission through its counsel, Babatunde Irukera, said it received complaints against Dr. Anu from one Marlene Oluwakemi, Taiwo Temilade, and Vivian Onwuzuligbo that Dr. Anu’s services are unsafe for consumers, and that she made “false, misleading and deceptive representation in relation to the marketing of their services.”
