University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, is facing renewed criticism after the mother who earlier accused the hospital of negligence leading to her five-month-old son’s death alleged she was harassed by armed police officers sent to her workplace at the instance of a pharmacist implicated in her complaint.
In a fresh statement posted on Instagram, Princess Adepoju Ambimbola Juliahnah (@ms.abim) said that just five days after burying her son, Folajimi, she was subjected to police intimidation over claims of “cyberbullying” against the pharmacist.
According to her, UCH’s Public Relations Officer contacted her on August 12 and she provided her office address “in good faith.” The next day, however, she said armed policemen arrived at her office, questioned her trainees about whether she truly lost her child, and later summoned her to Akobo Police Station.
“When I got to the station, the DPO called me an idiot for asking why I was invited, ordered officers to cuff me, and began shouting at me, pushing my baby, and yelling at my mother,” she alleged. “Instead of justice, I’m met with intimidation; instead of compassion, I’m met with harassment.”
She further claimed that the officers told her she was being investigated based on a petition from the pharmacist, who accused her of cyberbullying.
“Five armed police officers came to my office to arrest me without even calling or inviting me beforehand,” she wrote.
Ms. Adepoju, who had earlier alleged that her son died after being given double the prescribed dose of heart medication for 17 consecutive days, accused UCH and the police of attempting to silence her and bury her son’s story.
“My son’s life mattered. He deserves justice. I am begging well-meaning Nigerians to stand with me,” she appealed.
As of press time, UCH has not issued any public statement addressing either the original overdose allegation or the latest claims of harassment. The Oyo State Police Command also had yet to respond to inquiries about the incident.
All efforts to reach the Akobo Police Station proved abortive.
