On Tuesday, a Federal High Court in Lagos reserved judgment in a lawsuit filed against Anuoluwapo Adepoju, a Lagos surgeon.
Adepoju has been charged by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
She is on trial with her clinic, MedContour Services Ltd, on a five-count charge of refusing to honour an invitation for an investigation into post-body surgery issues, as well as producing investigation records.
She was re-arraigned on July 17, 2020, along with her medical costume.
Justice Mohammed Liman set Tuesday for ruling after the respective parties adopted their final addresses in November 2023.
However, the ruling was not available on Tuesday as scheduled, and the court informed the parties that a new date would be sent to them shortly.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has accused the defendant.
She pled not guilty to the accusation and was granted bail based on self-recognition.
Justice Liman was then transferred out of the Lagos division of the court, although he continues to preside over the case by fiat.
The trial began in the action, with the prosecution calling many witnesses, and then completed their case.
The defence, on its part, submitted a no case submission, arguing that no case had been proved against the defendant by the prosecution to justify her entering her defence.
In a ruling dated April 7, 2022, Justice Liman rejected the defendant’s no-case submission.
Liman determined that the evidence presented before the court meets the elements of the criminal charges filed against the defendant.
As a result, the court ordered the defendant to present her defense.
However, the case was adjourned multiple times on different dates for a variety of reasons.
On May 5, 2023, the defense began its case and called the first defendant as the sole witness.
The defendant was presented in evidence and cross-examined before the court delayed the case until June 21, 2023 for the adoption of written addresses.
The court did not sit on June 21, 2023, thus the case was delayed until July 17, 2023, then again until October 24, 2023, and finally November 20, 2023.
On November 20, 2023, the adoption of addresses by counsel was held virtually, and judgment was set for January 23 (today).
A new date for judgment will now be given to the parties.
In the five-count accusation filed against the defendants, the prosecution claimed that the first defendant failed to appear before the FCCPC in connection with an inquiry into a supposed failed buttock enlargement surgery.
The defendant allegedly failed to appear in accordance with the commission’s summons of April 15, 2020.
The prosecution further claimed that without good cause, the first defendant refused and failed to disclose papers that she was ordered to produce under the commission’s notice of investigation dated April 14, 2020.
The defendant was accused of preventing and obstructing the commission’s inquiry into the problem.
The offense, according to the state, violates sections 11(1)(a), 33(1)(a), 110, 113(1)(a), and 159(4) of the FCCPC Act of 2018.
(NAN)