Ms Greatness Olorunfemi, a victim of a “one-chance” robbery was not abandoned by the Maitama General Hospital contrary to social media claims, the Federal Capital Territory said on Wednesday.
Olurunfemi was reportedly dragged out of a fast-moving vehicle by her attackers on her way home from work on September 26. She died in the federal capital’s Maitama General Hospital, where she was brought after the attack on the Katampe-Kubwa Road.
Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, appointed a nine-member team to probe the killing on October 4.
Two months later, the panel while presenting its report at the Abuja Property Development Company, said that based on investigations, Olurunfemi was brought into the hospital dead.
The Chairman of the panel, Professor Mohammed Mohammed said the late victim was attended to 40 seconds after she was brought into the hospital, adding that no request for a police report was made as alleged on social media.
Mohammed, who is also the President of the Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria, said that the video online showing the late Ms. Olorunfemi in a sitting position does not show any evidence of life.
He explained that her cause of death was strangulation and contrary to social media reports, she did not bleed to death as minimal blood stains were found on her.
He did, however, state that systemic inadequacies were noted in the handling of her body after death as there was a delay in putting the body in the morgue due to lack of space.
The eyewitness account from a victim who claimed she was in the same vehicle was also debunked by the panel as they say investigations show that the witness upon future questioning revealed that her ‘one chance’ crime experience held a day after Olorunfemi was declared dead.
The panel noted that professional standards were not adhered to by the Maitama General Hospital staff as she was examined in the vehicle and open space in the hospital as opposed to being put on a stretcher and treated privately in an E&E unit.
While asking the police to do a proper investigation into the incident, the panel called for a detailed autopsy to ascertain the full causes of her death.
It also reiterated that hospitals are under an obligation of law to attend to all emergency cases without requesting a police report as they must save lives first. It reiterated that in Olorunfemi’s case, she was attended to 40 seconds after her body was brought to the hospital at 8:35:10 pm. Based on the CCTV camera footage, the panel said the victim was attended to at 8:35:50pm, 8:39:00pm and 8:41:00pm respectively.
It also apologised to the family for the way Olorunfemi’s body was treated at the hospital noting that all dead bodies must be treated with proper dignity.