The news first broke out in Adamawa, Nigeria, of how a certain doctor, Dr. Yakubu Hassan Kwaji (koji) erroneously removed the kidneys of his patient named Isah Hamman following a mild complaints of tommy pain. Gets a life ban from practicing Medicine….
Now, Mr Audu Bulama Bukarti, an analyst and a human rights lawyer who filed a the petition against Dr. Yakubu Hassan Kwaji in 2017 that led to his ultimate conviction and withdrawal of his medical practicing licence narrates the true story..
Read his side of the story below…
Today, the Medical & Dental Practitioners Tribunal struck Dr. Yakubu Hassan Kwaji off the roll of medical practitioners in Nigeria based on a petition I sent to it in 2017. Kwaji is the most reckless medical doctor I’ve heard of. He should be a lesson for other practitioners.
In 2016, one Isah Hamman (now late) went to Kwaji’s private clinic in Jimeta, Adamawa State, with stomach pain. Without careful examination nor due process, Kwaji collected N50, 000 from the deceased person and rushed him to surgery. He removed the patient’s both kidneys…… and gave them to his relatives to bury, saying “it’s the tumour causing the tommy ache”. Soon, Hamman stopped urinating and started Hemodialysis. Investigations in other hospitals revealed that he had NO KIDNEYS at all. It was then that Kwaji did was revealed.
Our efforts to replace his kidneys failed as he didn’t match with any of his potential donors. Isah gave up after months of excruciating pains. Kwaji didn’t show any remorse nor did he foot the bill. I thought he would be a disaster if allowed to continue practicing.
Today, the Medical and Dental Practitioners Tribunal sitting in Abuja found Kwaji guilty of all the 12-count charges against him and ordered that he be struck off the roll of practitioners. Years after the incident, I’m yet to come to terms with Kwaji conduct.
What kind of doctor was he? Where did he study? Did he pass his exams at all? I may never find the answers to these and many more questions on my mind but I’m sure of one thing: Kwaji is not fit to be a doctor. I’m happy that he has been stopped from wasting any more lives.
I would like to thank A. A. Umar & Co, my former law firm, my senior colleagues Sanusi Musa and Dr. Musa A. Aliyu (just nominated as the Attorney General of Jigawa State) for continuing with this case from where and I stopped when I moved to London.
Thanks for your concern and comments. For those asking, the Tribunal didn’t award compensation or a criminal penalty because it lacks jurisdiction to do so. It’s a disciplinary body. But we shall use this verdict to file a civil suit against the doctor and the clinic.
I hear those who say we should hand over the file to the police for prosecution. I’ve dealt with the police for ages and don’t have a shred of confidence that they will interested in pursuing this matter. So, we’d rather channel our energy and resources to the civil case.
Credit: Audu Bulama Bukarti PhD
(Human Rights Lawyer first shared this sad story on his Twitter handle)
