Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
A tragic case of suspected medical negligence has thrust the family of a Kano State woman into grief and public outcry after it was revealed that a pair of surgical scissors was allegedly left inside her body following an operation, contributing to her death after months of suffering. The incident occurred at the Abubakar Imam Urology Center in Kano, where the woman, identified as Aishatu Umar, underwent surgery in September 2025.
According to family accounts shared on social media, Umar began experiencing persistent and severe abdominal pain immediately after the procedure and returned to the hospital multiple times seeking relief. Each visit reportedly resulted only in the prescription of painkillers, with no thorough investigation into the underlying cause of her discomfort. This pattern of alleged inadequate medical follow‑up continued for several months, during which her condition reportedly worsened.
It was only two days before her death, around 1 a.m. on Monday, that comprehensive tests and imaging were finally carried out. The results, the family says, showed that a pair of scissors had been inadvertently left inside her abdomen during the September surgery, a finding that stunned relatives.
Efforts were reportedly underway to prepare Umar for a corrective operation to remove the foreign object. However, before the corrective surgery could take place, she succumbed to her worsening condition and passed away, leaving behind her husband and five children.
In a social media statement, her brother‑in‑law, Abubakar Mohammed, called the episode “pure negligence,” questioning how trained medical professionals could forget a surgical instrument inside a patient’s body and allow her to endure prolonged suffering without proper evaluation. The family has since appealed to the Kano State Government and relevant health regulatory authorities to launch an urgent investigation, ensure accountability and secure justice for Umar’s needless death.
Medical negligence involving retained surgical instruments — such as sponges, clamps or scissors — can lead to chronic pain, infections, internal injury and even death, and is recognised globally as a severe breach of standard surgical practice. Hospitals and surgical teams typically perform careful instrument counts before and after operations to prevent such occurrences, but when such protocols fail, the consequences can be devastating for patients.
Under Nigerian law, healthcare providers owe a duty of care to their patients. A breach of that duty resulting in harm or death can expose medical personnel and institutions to civil liability for damages, and in cases of gross negligence, criminal prosecution may be pursued for offences such as manslaughter or culpable homicide under applicable statutes.
As of the time of reporting, neither the management of the Abubakar Imam Urology Center nor officials from the Kano State Ministry of Health had publicly addressed the family’s allegations or confirmed details of the surgical error. Investigations by regulatory or judicial authorities have not been announced, and it remains unclear if steps have been taken to review hospital surgical practices or enforce patient‑safety safeguards in the wake of the tragedy.
The painful loss of Umar has sparked calls from community members and health advocates for stricter enforcement of medical safety standards and greater transparency in handling cases of suspected malpractice. Public confidence in healthcare services — particularly in specialist centres — may be further eroded by perceived failures in oversight and accountability, as families and Nigerians at large look for assurance that such errors will be thoroughly examined and appropriately sanctioned.
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