Metro

Outrage As Lady Dies After Plastic Surgery, Police Seek Information

Published

3 years ago

June 3, 2022

Editor

A lady, identified simply as Crystabel, has died after surgery at the Cynosure Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Clinics, in the Mende area of Maryland, Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that Crystabel visited the medical facility on Okunola Aina Street, Mende, for plastic surgery.

A lady, identified simply as Posha, said the victim died from the complications she had during the surgery.

Posha, who tweeted using her handle, @poshcupcake_1, said aggrieved friends and family members of the victim had been demanding justice for her.

She wrote, “Now, I’m not against anybody that wants to enhance their body, but I’m against doctors that claim they have experience abroad, come down to Nigeria to kill young people.

“After the surgery, she complained of bleeding and the doctors claimed (it) is normal, it will stop. Now, this is the problem, how are you a professional plastic surgeon with experience abroad and someone you finished operating on complained about bleeding and you said (it) is normal, it will stop? Neglecting her, no care whatsoever! Are you sick!”

Posha said Crystabel allegedly died because her complaint was neglected, adding that her friends suspected something was wrong when she didn’t inform them that she had returned from the facility.

She said, “The most annoying part here is, this gal died days ago without anybody knowing and the hospital did not find it needful to contact any of her relatives. Until a few friends who knew she was going for surgery said she was supposed to have been back.

“They decided to go to the hospital to check on her; arriving, they were offered a letter that her body had been deposited at the mortuary. This is sickening, now I think the government needs to come into this health system and check the capability of most surgeons.

“And make their own research if really they are well trained surgeons to be able to operate on humans (and) if not, their license should be seized! Arrest and jailed! RIP Crystabel. They have blocked all the comments, because her friends were commenting and seeking justice.”

Two of Crystabel’s pictures were attached to the tweet.

Reacting to Posha’s post, a Twitter user, @Kinetic1One, while lamenting the events that led to Crystabel’s death, urged ladies to visit actual professionals for body enhancements.

“Too many ladies have died for nothing,” the user added.

Reacting, the management of the medical facility, in a statement posted on its Instagram handle on Thursday, commiserated with the briefed family, adding that Crystabel underwent surgery at the hospital seven days ago.

The post read in part, “She was properly investigated pre-surgery; her blood level was adequate, her renal and liver functions were normal. She was stable, doing well after the surgery, was seen walking around (fully ambulatory) (video clips of this have been shared with her family) and was visited by a friend as well.

“She was with us for four days, when on the 4th day, during the ward rounds (as she was due to be discharged the following day), it was observed that she was symptomatically anaemic despite earlier interventions to prevent that, which included an initial blood transfusion on Post OP Day 2, which went successfully without any incident. Her Pack Cell Volume was checked and rechecked and it was low, which was attributed to the loss from intra-operation and from daily Lymphatic drainage messages following the liposuction procedure.

“She was duly informed about the situation and assured that we were again initiating blood transfusion and she duly consented. We contacted the same blood bank and requested that they give us two more units of blood for her to be transfused with. Suffice to say that the blood bank is a very reputable blood bank which is fully licensed and registered with the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency.”

The hospital said the blood units arrived at its facility after it was properly screened, grouped and cross-matched to ensure it was compatible with Crystabel’s blood group.

It revealed that blood transfusion was commenced and 10 minutes after completion, post-transfusion vitals checks revealed that she had a fever, which was managed.

“This was late evening on the 4th day post OP (30th May, 2022). She had no complaints, had her dinner and retired for the evening.

“About four hours after transfusion, she started complaining of chest tightness, difficulty in breathing and coughing with production of thick frothy yellowish sputum in the early hours of the 5th day (31st May, 2022), having suffered a very rare acute blood transfusion reaction evidenced by the dark-coloured urine produced and the findings on chest examination.

“She was promptly attended to, with life-saving intervention and was observed to be clinically improving as evidenced by the clearing up of the colour of the urine with adequate urine output. As the day progressed, she took a turn as her lung function was no longer clinically improving despite being on 100% oxygen at high flow whilst fully conscious and communicative.

“More life-saving interventions were put in place, including an arrangement to be transferred to an ICU. She deteriorated, as these plans were in motion and sadly, we lost her despite valiant efforts by the team to prevent that. We were unable to reach her next of kin on account of a wrongly copied phone contact and were only able to establish contact with the family through a third party within three hours of her death,” the statement added.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the case was not reported.

“I saw it on Twitter and I told them to report the matter at the nearest police station so the command could commence investigation into the incident,” he added.

Several ladies have lost their lives in reported cases of failed plastic surgery.

The Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, had urged the Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Investigation Panel to investigate a Lagos-based cosmetic surgeon who continued performing plastic surgeries despite the fact that her facility was sealed off by the state government

PUNCH.

Metro

Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicate In Rivers, Rescue Babies

Published

8 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Rivers State Police Command said its operatives have busted a child trafficking syndicate that manipulates young mothers and vulnerable pregnant women, steals their babies, and sells them to waiting buyers.

The police said the four-member syndicate is led by an ex-convict identified as Blessing Jack, who had previously been arrested, tried, and imprisoned in Calabar, Cross River State, for a similar offence.

The spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday and sent to newsmen.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, said Blessing, aged 54, was arrested by men of the Command’s C4i Intelligence Unit on October 9 in Igwuruta, near Port Harcourt, following a discreet probe into the activities of the syndicate.

She said Blessing’s arrest led to the location of her other three female partners, who were consequently taken into custody.

The statement read, “The Rivers State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in its investigation into the activities of a child trafficking syndicate in the state, with the arrest of several suspects.

“The syndicate, allegedly led by one Blessing Jack, a 54-year-old female resident of Timber Road, Igwuruta, Port Harcourt, exploits vulnerable young mothers, stealing and selling their newborn babies for significant financial gains.

“On October 9, 2025, at about 1500hrs, operatives of the Command attached to the C4i Intelligence Unit, through technically aided policing, arrested Blessing Jack at Igwuruta in Port Harcourt.

“A conversation between Blessing Jack and one Marley Oburu ‘m’ revealed the syndicate’s modus operandi. She discussed a recent incident where her associate had taken a woman’s baby, claiming the baby had died, but had been paid the sum of ₦2,000,000 for the transaction.”

She continued, “The transaction suggested that Blessing and her associates use fake scans and manipulate vulnerable pregnant women to obtain their babies.

“Other suspects arrested include: Chinonso Raymond, a 30-year-old male of Igwuruta, Port Harcourt; Chinyere Okorie, a 32-year-old female of Pipeline, Rumuoholu, Port Harcourt; and Nkechi Nwankwo, a 50-year-old female of Pipeline, Rumuoholu, Port Harcourt.

“A preliminary investigation revealed that Blessing Jack had previously been imprisoned in Calabar for three years for child trafficking, highlighting her long-standing involvement in the illicit business.”

The state police image maker said all the suspects voluntarily confessed to the crime, detailing their individual roles.

“Suspects are currently in police custody, while an in-depth investigation has been launched to arrest other members of the syndicate and dismantle the network,” Iringe-Koko stated further.

The State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, commended the operatives for their diligence in investigating and apprehending the suspects, saying the Command will continue to work tirelessly to protect vulnerable individuals and combat human trafficking in the state.

CP Adepoju appealed to members of the public to report any information that may aid in the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases, saying, “Together, we can build a safer and more secure society for all.”

Rivers State Police Command, in September, said its operatives have arrested three suspected kidnappers who allegedly killed two of their victims after collecting a total ransom of N10.4m.

Earlier in August, the Command said its men busted an armed robbery/kidnapping syndicate terrorising residents of Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of the state, and its environs.

Metro

BREAKING: Lagos Re-arraigns Kidnapper Evans Over Police Officers’ Killing

Published

11 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

Lagos State Government on Monday re-arraigned convicted billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans.

The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja is hearing the case of the murder of two police officers by the billionaire kidnapper.

He and his co-defendant, Joseph Emeka, were arraigned before Justice A. O. Ogala on a five-count charge bordering on murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

They both pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Details later…

Metro

Lagos Demolishes 17 Houses For Encroaching On Waterways

Published

2 days ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

At least 17 houses have been demolished by the Lagos State Government for encroaching on the right-of-way (RoW) of the Ikota River alignment.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, led a monitoring and enforcement team, accompanied by journalists, to the site on Saturday.

Wahab cautioned residents against actions that threaten the environment, warning that nature inevitably retaliates against human negligence and unlawful reclamation of wetlands.

He disclosed that the ministry had received reports months earlier about illegal reclamation activities aimed at narrowing the river’s natural path.

“We stopped them then, but we were alerted again recently that the encroachment had resumed aggressively, with attempts to sell land to unsuspecting buyers,” Wahab said.

The commissioner said the government had now taken decisive action to halt the encroachment and clear all illegal structures along the alignment.

He added that those behind the unlawful activity would be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Speaking on the perennial challenge of flooding, Wahab noted that while it is impossible to completely prevent flooding in a coastal state like Lagos, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons, and rivers, the government continues to invest in infrastructure to mitigate its impact.

“What we can do is reduce its effects through resilient infrastructure, which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has consistently provided and maintained,” he said.

Despite ongoing efforts to desilt and maintain drainage systems daily, Wahab lamented that some individuals persist in obstructing waterways for personal gain.

He cited property number 156 as an example, saying it blocked the coastal road alignment and disrupted the natural flow of water.

“That property will be cleared to allow the Ikota channel to discharge freely into the Lagos Lagoon,” he added.

Wahab stressed that demolition was not always the state’s first option, as the government often explored corrective measures.

“Sometimes we ask developers to produce practical designs for stormwater discharge, but they must bear the cost, not taxpayers,” he said, describing it as irresponsible for the government to fix problems created by private developers who profit from violating environmental regulations.

During an inspection tour of the Lekki–Epe corridor, Wahab also decried the massive encroachment on wetlands originally designed to retain excess rainwater.

He said drone surveillance had exposed extensive damage to the wetland corridor, including the destruction of coconut trees planted for soil stability.

According to him, violators were issued demolition notices on 26 September, ahead of planned transport infrastructure works on the same route.

He explained that the inspection was intended to align environmental preservation with the Ministry of Transport’s Green Line Rail project.

Additionally, the Commissioner for Transport, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, stated that the Green Line Rail project, which will run from Marina to Epe, is anticipated to commence in December following stakeholder consultations and feasibility studies.

Osiyemi said some car dealers who were granted temporary approval to use power line spaces had violated terms by constructing permanent structures on wetlands.

“As a state, we must enforce compliance and protect the environment while advancing our transport development agenda,” Osiyemi said.

He added that the Green Line project, which is expected to last approximately three years, forms part of Lagos State’s integrated transport solution aimed at easing mobility across the metropolis.

Other areas visited during the inspection included Chevron Gate off Orchid Road, Partibon Homes, Oral Extension Phase 2, and Park View in Ikoyi.

(NAN)