SUNTV Global Channel Report
A High Court in Ado‑Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State, has sentenced a man who impersonated a medical doctor to death by hanging after a botched surgery led to the death of a pregnant woman.
The convict, Olatide Temitope Emmanuel, 48, was found guilty of murder and impersonation by Justice Jubril Aladejana following a lengthy trial over the death of Bosede Falade, a pregnant woman who died during childbirth.
According to court proceedings, the tragic incident occurred on June 24, 2019, in Erinmope‑Ekiti, where Emmanuel had been operating an illegal private clinic despite lacking any recognised medical qualification.
Prosecutors told the court that Emmanuel falsely presented himself as a certified medical doctor and proceeded to perform a caesarean section on the victim when she went into labour.
However, the unprofessional surgical procedure reportedly caused severe complications that later resulted in Falade’s death.
The prosecution team, led by Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, presented seven witnesses and several pieces of evidence before the court, including medical reports, photographs of the deceased, and statements made by the defendant during investigation.
One of the witnesses, Rev. Omotade, told investigators he became suspicious when he arrived at the clinic and discovered the lifeless body of the woman shortly after the delivery attempt.
“When I got to the hospital, I saw the corpse lying on a stretcher while the self-acclaimed doctor stood beside it. After examining the body, it was clear the operation had been carried out unprofessionally,” he said.
During his defence, Emmanuel admitted he was not a qualified doctor but claimed he had previously worked as a nursing apprentice in a Lagos hospital before establishing his clinic in Ekiti in 2019.
He also told the court that the deceased and her husband had agreed to the operation after he advised that a caesarean delivery was necessary. According to him, the baby was successfully delivered, but the woman later developed complications and died.
Delivering judgment, Justice Aladejana condemned the defendant’s actions, describing them as reckless, dangerous, and a clear threat to human life.
“The confession of the defendant that he was not qualified as medical personnel yet proceeded to operate on a human being portrays him as inherently callous,” the judge ruled.
The court held that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Emmanuel’s illegal medical practice directly caused the death of the pregnant woman.
Justice Aladejana then pronounced the sentence:
“The judgment of this court is that you, Olatide Temitope Emmanuel, be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May the Lord have mercy on your soul.”
The ruling brings to a close a case that has drawn widespread attention and renewed concerns about illegal medical practitioners operating unregulated clinics in rural communities across Nigeria.
