Mother of Five Dies from Doctors’ Negligence

● Leave scissors in her body during surgery

A Nigerian woman, Aishatu Umar, has tragically died four months after surgeons left a pair of scissors inside her stomach.

The doctors forgot the instrument in her stomach during a surgical procedure at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre, a government-owned health facility in Kano State.

The mother of five died on Sunday, January 11, 2026, during a corrective surgery to remove the scissors.

A relative of the deceased, Abubakar Mohammed, said Aishatu died after enduring months of severe abdominal pain following a surgical procedure carried out at the hospital about four months ago.

According to Mohammed, the surgery was performed in September, after which Aishatu reportedly began experiencing persistent and worsening abdominal pain.

He alleged that despite repeated visits to the hospital, she was only given pain-relief medication without further investigations.

“Each time she returned to the hospital, she was given painkillers,” Mohammed said.

“It was only two days ago that scans were carried out, and that was when doctors discovered that scissors had been forgotten inside her body.

“Plans were made for another surgery, but she passed away before it could be done,” he added.

Mohammed described the incident as a clear case of negligence and called on the Kano State Government and relevant health regulatory authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly and ensure justice for the deceased.

“How can medical professionals forget a pair of scissors inside a patient’s body? This is unacceptable and damages the integrity of the health sector,” he said.

Reacting to the incident, the Kano State Hospitals Management Board said it had ordered an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the allegation to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding Aishatu’s death.

The Executive Secretary of the board, Dr. Mansur Mudi Nagoda, in a statement issued by the board’s Public Relations Officer, Samira Suleiman, assured the public that the investigation would be transparent, impartial and professional.

The board stressed that the matter would not be swept under the carpet and pledged that appropriate action would be taken if negligence was established.

The death has sparked public concern and renewed calls for improved accountability and patient safety in public healthcare facilities across the state.

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