Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria — A 39-year-old secondary school teacher has ignited national concern over patient safety and surgical oversight after alleging that doctors at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) removed both of his kidneys during surgery, despite having consented only to the removal of a damaged organ following a road accident. The allegation has prompted official investigations, administrative sanctions and renewed debate over healthcare standards in public hospitals.
Mr. Joshua Afolayan, a teacher with the Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission, underwent surgery at EKSUTH on October 9, 2025, after an accident in August revealed one kidney was not functioning. Physicians reportedly planned a nephrectomy to remove the dysfunctional kidney, while the other was assessed as healthy. According to Afolayan, however, he later discovered that both kidneys had been removed—leaving him completely kidney-less, dependent on regular dialysis and in chronic pain.
Speaking to journalists, Afolayan recounted that his health continued to deteriorate after the operation, with persistent weakness, inability to sleep, dry skin, stomach swelling and worsening general condition. Despite repeated post-surgery scans, the hospital allegedly refused to release results promptly, prompting further tests elsewhere that confirmed he had no kidneys. The unexpected findings raised alarm and triggered his social media revelation after months of unresponsive communication with hospital authorities.
Afolayan says he and his family spent more than ₦6 million on surgery and associated care, and that, following the procedure, he began receiving dialysis every two days. He stressed that while he agreed to have one kidney removed, he was shocked to learn the healthy kidney had also been taken—decisions he says occurred without his informed consent.
His account also alleges inconsistent medical reporting: he claimed that when he first requested his results, the hospital delayed release and later presented a report altering earlier notes to suggest he had a horseshoe kidney, a rare anatomical anomaly that he and his advocates insist was not consistent with prior diagnostic imaging. Such changes, Afolayan argues, deepen questions about clinical transparency and accountability.
The teacher has appealed for urgent government intervention, including support for a kidney transplant and long-term care, as his current health condition makes ordinary activities like eating, drinking and sleeping painful and difficult. He emphasised that the alleged negligence has robbed him of his livelihood, leaving him unable to teach, provide for his wife and three children, and participate in everyday life without continuous dialysis.
The controversy has drawn swift attention from the Ekiti State Government. Following widespread public outcry and formal complaints, a seven-member panel of enquiry led by Professor Francis Faduyile examined the case and recommended stern administrative actions. The surgeon who led Afolayan’s operation has been dismissed from the hospital’s service, while other members of the surgical team were suspended for one month pending further review.
In addition to personnel sanctions, the panel’s report endorsed a comprehensive reorganisation of relevant departments within EKSUTH aimed at strengthening clinical governance and patient safety, and found the incident stemmed from a surgical complication rather than deliberate organ harvesting, according to state health authorities. The government also committed to covering the cost of a kidney transplant for Afolayan and supporting his post-transplant care for two years.
The state’s Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, emphasised that while EKSUTH remains committed to high ethical standards, decisive action was necessary where professional standards were found to be breached. According to officials, the aim is to restore public confidence in a health system where patients are vulnerable and accountability can be challenging to enforce.
The case of Mr. Afolayan comes amid broader concerns about healthcare quality and patient protection in Nigeria’s public hospitals, where systemic challenges—including inadequate oversight, resource constraints and regulatory gaps—have previously been highlighted by health advocates and everyday citizens. Allegations of negligence and malpractice, even when rare, can fuel widespread anxiety about trust in medical institutions and the safety of surgical interventions.
As investigations proceed and healthcare administrators grapple with implementing the panel’s recommendations, Afolayan’s ordeal has become a flashpoint for discussions on surgical oversight, informed consent and patient rights, layers of complexity that many Nigerians feel are crucial to improving national health outcomes.
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