Middle Belt Forum reveals circumstance surrounding Mailafia’s death

The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, has released a statement disclosing how former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Obadiah Mailafia lost his life. 

Mailafia died aged 64 years on Sunday morning after a brief undisclosed ailment.

However, in the Sunday statement, the Midlle Belt Forum, alleged that the former presidential aspirant was diagnosed with COVID-19 but circumstances surrounding his death point to medical negligence by doctors at the CBN hospital and University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada, Abuja. 

According to the statement by Dr Isuwa Dogo, the MBF’s National Publicity Secretary, Mailafia arrived Abuja last Sunday, September 12, 2021 from Akure. 

On getting home, his wife noticed he was feeling unwell and treated him against malaria. 

The diagnosis was wrong and his health kept deteriorating. So after three days of treatment without improvement, he went to the CBN Hospital on Friday, September 17 to seek better healthcare. 

The statement partly read; “The death of the former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada, Abuja,  this morning came to us as a great shock. 

“As someone who relentlessly participated in the activities of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), his untimely death has dealt  a deadly blow on ethnic nationalities of not only the Middle Belt but the country at large.

“Arising from various enquiries from Nigerians over the circumstances of his death, the Forum wishes to state as follows: That Dr Mailafia arrived Abuja last Sunday September 12, 2021 from Akure and was received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by his wife.

“On arrival at home, the wife noticed he was not in the best of health conditions and seemed to be suffering from malaria. After three days of treatment without signs of improvement, he went to the CBN Hospital on Friday September 17, 2021 where he was shabily treated. It took the intervention of a senior medic who immediately placed him on oxygen and admitted him.

“Dr Mailafia’s was later given the option of choosing three hospitals: Gwagwalada Hospital, National Hospital and EHA Clinics. The wife opted for the third choice. On arrival at the EHA Clinics, the wife was subjected to yet another moment of anxiety as it took a direct order from the top management of the hospital to accept him.”

The statement added that health continued to deteriorate at the EHA Clinics so the deceased family were told of the need to transfer him to Gwagwalada hospital for better treatment. 

Despite initial resistance, the wife agreed to the decision after external consultants assured her that her late husband would get quality treatment. 

He was transferred to the Gwagwalada Teaching hospital on Saturday, September 18 but the doctor meant to attend to him was not on duty. 

“Yesterday, Saturday September 18, 2021, Dr Obadiah was transfered to Gwagwalada. on arrival, the name of the doctor that was billed to attend to Dr Mailafia was not on duty. 

“Even when an attempt was made by foreign health consultants to save the situation, the doctor on duty got angry and said he was not obligated to listen to any foreign consultants that had been brought into the matter with the sole purpose of ensuring nothing  goes wrong,” the statement added. 

“Wife of the former CBN Deputy Governor was asked to pay the sum of N600’000 as deposit even when it was a referral case, with accruing medical bill to be settled by the CBN. At a point, Dr Mailafia complained over his breathing problems and pleaded with the doctors to place him in a ventilator. The doctors flatly refused.

“Even after the doctors declared Dr. Mailafia dead, foreign consultants who were brought into the matter through Dr Mailafia’s son that is  living abroad, had directed a family member who is a medical professional, with the wife of the CBN Deputy Governor, to mount pressure on the chest of Dr.  Mailafia for  resuscitation and thereafter place him on a life support.

“The doctors in Gwagwalada refused all entreaties by the family members of Dr Mailafia to follow the advice of the foreign consultants, insisting that they have already pronounced him dead. Even when the wife could feel the pulse of her husband, the doctor flatly declared there was nothing they could do since they had already pronounced him dead.

“While the above narration sums up the circumstances under which Dr Mailafia died,  we still  await the result of the actual cause of his death.”