Although the Government of Ekiti State has ordered the dismissal of a surgeon at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) after a probe into claims that two kidneys of a 39-year-old teacher were removed without consent during surgery, the helpless teacher is crying out for help.
The surgeon’s dismissal followed the submission of a report by a seven-member Panel of Enquiry chaired by Professor Francis Faduyile, which was set up to investigate allegations by Joshua Afolayan, a staff member of the Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission.
Afolayan said he was admitted to EKSUTH in August 2025 after sustaining injuries in a road accident. According to him, medical tests showed that his right kidney was damaged and required removal, while his left kidney was healthy and functioning normally.
“I agreed to the surgery because we confirmed the other kidney was working 100 percent,” Afolayan said. “They were only supposed to remove the bad one.”
But after the operation, he said his condition deteriorated rapidly. Follow-up scans were allegedly withheld, raising suspicions that both kidneys had been removed. He said doctors later claimed he had a “horseshoe kidney,” an explanation he rejected, insisting multiple pre-surgery scans showed two separate kidneys.
“They were confused,” Afolayan said. “Later, they changed the story. That was when I went public.”
He said he now lives with chronic pain and depends on regular dialysis to survive.
“I want to live like others,” he said. “I’m 39 years old. I have a wife and three children. I want to eat, drink, urinate, sleep and take care of my family.”
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, the Ekiti State Government said the panel’s findings confirmed serious professional failures during the procedure.
The government approved the immediate dismissal of the surgeon who had primary responsibility for the operation. Other members of the surgical team present in the operating theatre were suspended for one month pending further administrative review.
The state also pledged to fund a kidney transplant for Afolayan and cover post-transplant care and related medical expenses for two years. In addition, authorities ordered a comprehensive reorganisation of relevant departments at EKSUTH to strengthen clinical governance, accountability and patient safety.
While rejecting claims that the incident involved organ harvesting, the government acknowledged that the case represented a grave surgical complication that warranted decisive sanctions.
“Following a thorough review of actions before, during and after the operation, it was confirmed without doubt that this was a case of surgical complication and not organ harvesting for rituals as alleged,” the statement said.
Hospital management, through Professor Jude Okohue, denied wrongdoing, insisting the medical team acted appropriately and provided emergency care, including blood transfusions from staff members.
The government said it remains committed to restoring public confidence in the state’s health system, warning that it would not hesitate to act where professional standards are breached.
Afolayan, however, said beyond free dialysis, he has received little intensive medical support and urged the state to move quickly, warning that further delays could be fatal.
