A Legal Practitioner and Human Rights Activist, Hamza N. Dantani, has petitioned the Chief Medical Director of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Borno State, demanding an investigation into alleged medical negligence and systemic failures that reportedly led to the death of his father, Alhaji Nuhu Dantani.
In the petition dated over the circumstances of the deceased’s treatment at the hospital, Hamza, who also identified himself as the biological son of the late patient (Hospital No: 760494), alleged gross professional misconduct and institutional lapses that culminated in what he described as an avoidable death on March 31, 2026.
He wrote: “I write in my dual capacity as a Legal Practitioner, Human Rights Activist, and the biological son of the deceased… to formally petition your office over the deeply troubling and unacceptable circumstances that culminated in the avoidable death of my father.”
According to him, the deceased was initially admitted at the Kidney Centre, New VIP Extension of the hospital, where he underwent a prostate-related surgery and was later discharged with a catheter.
He alleged that complications began when the patient was rushed back to the facility on March 13, 2026, and admitted to the Emergency Unit, where he said there was delay in diagnosis and treatment.
Hamza claimed: “For a period of two (2) days, he was left without any definitive diagnosis, meaningful clinical intervention, or adequate medical explanation, despite being in severe and obvious distress.”
He further alleged that the condition of the patient worsened after transfer to the Male VIP Medical Ward, where there was “absence of attending physicians” and reliance on basic intravenous fluids without a clear treatment plan.
The petitioner also accused a medical unit of negligence after referral delays, stating: “No member of the Gastroenterology Unit has responded for over 48 hours… a member of the unit admitted they were aware of the referral but ‘forgot’ to attend to the patient.”
Hamza listed several alleged clinical failures, including improper handling of a nasogastric tube, lack of diagnostic tests, absence of oxygen supply in the ward during respiratory distress, and delayed detection of chest fluid accumulation.
He also claimed that a mobile X-ray machine was not available until shortly before the patient’s death, when oxygen levels had reportedly dropped below 60 percent.
“The totality of these events clearly establishes a pattern of negligence, lack of coordination, incompetence, and systemic collapse within the hospital’s operational structure,” he stated.
Beyond the incident, he alleged broader institutional weaknesses, including absenteeism of doctors, poor supervision, weak emergency response systems, and inadequate medical equipment.
Hamza said these amounted to a violation of the deceased’s constitutional right to life, adding: “These failures constitute a breach of the constitutional right to life… and a violation of established standards of medical care and ethics expected of a tertiary healthcare institution.”
He therefore demanded a full investigation, identification and sanctioning of those found culpable, as well as a comprehensive audit of hospital procedures.
Among his demands, he called for “an immediate, thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death,” and “provision, maintenance, and accessibility of essential medical equipment, including oxygen systems and mobile diagnostic tools.”
The lawyer warned that failure to act would compel him to escalate the matter to the Federal Ministry of Health and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), and pursue further legal action.
UMTH management is yet to officially respond to the petition at the time of filing this report.
