Adebola Akin-Bright, the young boy from Lagos whose small intestine was reported as missing, has tragically passed away
He died on Tuesday evening, shortly after a visit of Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, and several members to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, where the boy was undergoing treatment.
The distressing saga began when the boy’s mother, Deborah Abiodun, appealed to the governor to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her son’s small intestines, claiming the incident transpired while the boy was receiving treatment at LASUTH.
However, the hospital management denied the allegation in a statement made on its profile on X, on August 12, 2023.
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In a subsequent statement issued on September 3, 2023, the hospital management reaffirmed its innocent, stating, “Once again, the hospital management needs to clarify issues on the insinuations being made by a mother in a viral video that the alleged loss of her son’s intestines after surgery is a matter between a private hospital and LASUTH. Our hospital is an excellent tertiary institution with highly knowledgeable and skilled medical consultants.
“We are also equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. The patient in question was referred to our hospital after having two surgeries carried out in a private hospital.”
It read further, “He required extensive optimisation in our facility before a corrective surgery could be carried out. At the surgery, which was carried out by an experienced pediatric surgeon and her team certain strange findings were discovered. There is a video clip of these intraoperative findings. The mother was informed about these findings but she appeared to be in denial.
“The hospital is in possession of a comprehensive report of the findings by a high-powered panel that it quickly set up to look into all ramifications of this case.
“Clearly, our hospital carried out a corrective surgery and did not wilfully remove any organ or structure,” it said.
In early September, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo Olu, during a visit to Akin-Bright said the state government will take over the medical care of the boy.
Good Evening Nigeria reports that the Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, on Sept. 6, inaugurated a five-man ad hoc committee, headed by Mr Noheem Adams to investigate the circumstances that led to the disappearance of the boy’s intestine.
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Presenting the preliminary report on Tuesday, Adams said members of the ad-hoc committee visited the boy at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
Adams said that the full report would soon be presented, adding that some shocking discoveries were made in the course of its investigations.
“We made some shocking discoveries in the course of our investigation. The incident is very unusual, but we want the boy to survive and we know Mr Speaker is very interested in his survival too.
“We went to LASUTH today on the directives of the speaker, to find out the health status of the 12 years old boy, Master Adebola Akin-Bright.
“The hospital told us that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had taken care of the bill for his treatment at LASUTH,” he said.
Adams, however, said hospital informed them that Akin-Bright needed to be transferred urgently to either the U.S. or UK for an intestine transplant.
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The lawmaker added that communications were ongoing with hospitals in the two countries.
In his contribution, Mr Temitope Adewale, another member of the committee, said the patient’s health was deteriorating and that urgent steps needed to be taken.
“He is now given GMO nutrient and there is the urgent need to take him abroad,” he said.