Delta family tackles police over newborn’s missing organs

The family whose newborn's body parts were allegedly removed in a hospital in Asaba, Delta State, have accused the state police command of compromising the case.

aallegedly removed on October 10, 2022, after the baby was confirmed dead in the hospital. (Editor's note: the word “aallegedly” is exactly how this sentence started in the original.)

The baby was brought to the hospital on September 29, but died after 11 days of being on oxygen.

The family said when they came to carry the corpse on Monday, they discovered that his eyes, ears and face had been removed.

The father of the deceased, Mr Promise John, 36, on Wednesday, said the police had exonerated the hospital from the case.

He said, “The case has been charged to court, but the police only charged the nurses without joining the hospital. It's like they have collected money from the owner of the hospital.

“There is an attempt to deny us justice; the police should charge the hospital as well. As I speak to you now, the three nurses that were arrested have been released.”

A rights activist, Victor Ojei, accused the police of bias.

Ojei said the police not only exonerated the hospital, but also took the matter to a court with no jurisdiction to hear the case.

He said the hospital was liable, noting that till date, the police had yet to arrest the two men that were reportedly caught tampering with the CCTV cameras of the hospital during the investigation.

The activist said, “I traced them (family) to A Division jurisdiction magistrate's court. Upon getting there, I figured out that we were at the wrong location to try this matter of unexplained organ harvesting. I asked the IPO of the case the charges in the charge sheet and he said they were charging only the nurse who was on duty.

“Why are the police trying to frustrate this matter that has caused this family so much pain because the mother used cesarean section to deliver the baby and the death of this child has brought about immense and painful grief for the parents; they are now experiencing painful emotions, sadness, worry and anger.”

He called on the Nigeria Medical Association, the Attorney General of Delta State, the National Human Rights Commission, among others, to see to it that justice prevailed.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, said the nurses involved had been arraigned, adding that there was no reason to join the hospital.

“On the court jurisdiction, Magistrates' Court 1 is the head of magistrates' courts, so why are they saying it has no jurisdiction?” he added.