The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has resolved to sue the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and Evercare Hospital in Lekki, Lagos over the death of its member, Late Mrs. Ijeoma Chizoma Oparanozie.

The lawsuit will be spearheaded by one of its sections, the NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL).

The 40-year-old corporate lawyer and her niece were fatally wounded when their car was hit by a somersaulting vehicle around ELF axis in Lekki, Lagos. Her six-year-old son narrowly escaped death with head injuries. She will be buried today at Umugakwo, Umuoba Uratta, Owerri North local council of Imo State after a requiem service.

In a notice obtained by CITY LAWYER, fiery human rights activist and Chairman of NBA-SPIDEL, Mr. John Aikpokpo-Martins recalled that the Section dispatched a three-member fact-finding team to Lagos for a discreet investigation of the matter, adding that “We shall be empaneling a legal team to institute an action as soon as possible.”

Noting that “The committee just turned in its report this morning,” he urged “members from Lagos to please volunteer,” adding: “We sincerely appreciate members of the fact-finding committee, Ms. Obi Ajegbo, George Nwabunike, and Adekunle Adeniyi, who are automatically co-opted to the legal team.”

CITY LAWYER recalls that Oparanozie died in controversial circumstances, with the family alleging medical negligence.

Mrs. Chinwe Chiazor, the elder sister of the deceased, told CITY LAWYER that though Evercare Hospital did medical investigation which indicated that the deceased needed urgent surgery, it took hours deliberating on payment and refused to perform the surgery unless it received a N10 million fee for both patients. According to Chiazor, though the N10 million was later paid, the hospital then raised the fee to N30 million.

The family also claimed that following the transfer of the deceased to LASUTH after negotiations broke down at Evercare, the medical team also failed to give the deceased any medical attention for almost four hours.

When CITY LAWYER contacted Evercare Hospital via its verified telephone number, one Robertson directed our Correspondent to send an email to the hospital “on your letterheaded paper and our Legal Team will respond if necessary.” LASUTH could not be reached for a response at the time of going to press.

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