A Nigerian woman, Aishatu Umar, has died four months after surgeons allegedly left a pair of scissors inside her abdomen during a surgical procedure at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre in Kano State.
The mother of five reportedly passed away in the early hours of Sunday, January 11, 2026, while undergoing a corrective surgery aimed at removing the foreign object. The incident has sparked outrage and renewed calls for accountability within the healthcare system.
Confirming the development in a Facebook post on Monday, Aishatu’s brother-in-law, Abubakar Mohammed, said she initially underwent surgery at the hospital in September 2025.
Following the operation, she reportedly began experiencing severe and persistent abdominal pain, which lasted for several months.
According to the family, Aishatu repeatedly returned to the hospital to complain of the pain but was allegedly given only pain relief medication, without further investigations, for about four months. Her condition reportedly worsened, prompting renewed medical attention.
It was only after tests and scans were eventually conducted that doctors discovered a pair of surgical scissors had allegedly been left inside her abdomen during the earlier operation.
Plans were immediately made for a corrective surgery to remove the object.
Tragically, Aishatu died during the procedure.
“She passed away around 1:00 am,” Mohammed wrote. “She is survived by her husband and five children. After suffering unbearable pain for months, we were shocked to learn that scissors had been forgotten inside her body.”
He described the incident as gross medical negligence and called on the Kano State Government and relevant health regulatory bodies to launch a thorough investigation and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
“Every soul has its appointed time,” he wrote, “but how can trained professionals forget surgical scissors inside a patient? This damages public trust in the healthcare system. We demand justice for Aishatu Umar.”
As of the time of this report, the management of the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre has not issued an official statement on the incident.
