Ezuma Hospital, Aba, shut down a few months ago by the Federal Government for its involvement in procuring illegal abortions and sale of babies, has reopened its doorsJames Ezuma, the proprietor of Ezuma Private Hospital in Aba, Abia State, obviously considers himself a powerful Nigerian who is above the laws of the land. That is the only way to make sense out of the man’s decision to reopen his hospital and continue with his nefarious activities of procuring abortions and trading in babies.On May 21, Ezuma forcefully reopened his hospital which had been sealed off by members of the Nigerian Police. The police sealed off the place on March 30, following the Newswatch publication of January 12, 2009, which exposed the dirty deals of the Aba-based medical doctor. The report gave a shocking account of how Ezuma had turned his hospital located at 101 Okigwe Road, Aba, into a camp where pregnant girls are kept preparatory to their giving birth. Once they are delivered of their babies, Ezuma would take possession of them and sell to willing buyers.The Newswatch report left many people in shock, with Nigerians wondering how the man had been able to sustain his trade all these years undetected. Nonetheless, the Newswatch report spurred the Federal Ministry of Health and police into action. Babatunde Osotimehin, minister of health, set up a 15-man panel of inquiry to investigate the allegation and take necessary action.The 15-man body which was known as the Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigating Panel, had, upon completing its investigation, confirmed the Newswatch story to be true and recommended the closure of the hospital and the suspension of Ezuma from medical practice. Based on the panel’s finding, the police sealed off the hospital. Ezuma, who had evaded arrested that March 30, was later arrested by the police and taken into custody in Abuja. He was released on bail after ten days in detention.But Ezuma now seeks to clear himself of any wrongdoing, saying that a High Court in Umuahia had on March 31, ordered a stay of execution on the matter. The High Court had granted Ezuma’s wish for the enforcement of his "fundamental human rights to dignity of human person, fair hearing, private and family life, freedom of thought, conscience, religion and freedom of expression as guaranteed,” saying that “under sections 34, 36, 37,38 and 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the enforcement of his fundamental rights “shall operate as a stay of all actions or matters connected with the suspension,” pending the “final determination of the applicant’s application” before the court.To Ezuma, this interpretes as an order for him to continue with his illegal activities. But that is not true.Although the court ordered for a stay of execution, it did not in anyway stay that his hospital should be reopened or that his licence should be reissued before the final determination of the case which comes up on July 2.The 15-man Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigating Panel had, following its investigations, written to Ezuma informing him that the panel inaugurated by the minister of health had done its investigation. “The panel has now submitted its report which indicted Dr James Ezuma on all scores. The honourable minister of health has directed the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to take necessary action. Consistent with the provision of S15(3)(C) of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap M8, LOFON 2004, the panel has made an order for interim suspension from medical profession of Dr James Ezuma with effect from March 25, 2009 until the final determination of the case by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.”It was based on this report that the police swooped on the hospital on March 30 and evacuated 59 pregnant teenage girls from the hospital who were later handed over to the Aba South Social Welfare Department.Having now returned to Aba, Ezuma, on May 21, brought a carpenter and welder and forced the hospital open. He then recruited some Bakassi Boys as his security. The Bakassi Boys are the local vigilante team popular for their unorthodox way of fighting crime. According to one Aba resident, “in the past, the Bakassi Boys were held in high esteem in Aba because of their effort in combating crime, given the failure of the Nigeria Police in that respect. But that has since changed, as they are now considered to be corrupt and are being used to do dirty jobs in Aba.” That, he said, explains why the security outfit could now be bought “for a fee by a man like Ezuma, who is alleged to be a child trafficker.”The Bakassi Boys now mount guard at Ezuma hospital located at 101 Okigwe Road, Aba. The intention is to intimidate people and give the impression that he is a powerful man who cannot be cowed. Newswatch learnt that the Bakassi Boys often shoot into the air at night as a way to register their presence and send signals that they are in charge. Newswatch sources said Ezuma decided to recruit the Bakassi Boys after his wish to engage the services of the police was rebuffed. A source in Aba said “the police in Aba were afraid to offer him protection because his activities had become public knowledge. He wanted to go to Umuahia, Abia State capital, to get same but was advised against it. So, he went for the Bakassi Boys as a last resort.”Since the hospital was reopened on May 21, Ezuma has continued from where he stopped prior to his arrest.Many people, who spoke to Newswatch on condition of anonymity, said Ezuma had practised his trade unchallenged for many years. “That is all he does. Apart from those who willingly go to him, he is known to recruit jobless young men and women to scout for pregnant girls after which he would pay them as much as N20,000 per person. He has been doing this for over 20 years. He has sustained himself through the sale of babies, apart from the abortion business,” said a source. Even then, abortion is said to be the last option in the business calculation of Ezuma, because of the huge profit he makes from selling babies. A baby sells for as much as N400,000 at Ezuma private hospital.According to another source who gave her name as Nkemjika, Ezuma is known to attract many girls to his hospital because of his kindness to them in crisis moments. “You know, teenage pregnancy is frowned upon here. So, some of these young girls, when they discover that they are pregnant, they run away from home. Some are directed to go to Ezuma Hospital for an abortion. Once there, the man will advise the girls not to abort the pregnancies but to give birth to them. Once you agree, he will take good care of you until you are delivered of your baby. Then he will pay you some money before you leave the hospital. How much you are paid depends on the sex of the baby. A baby boy attracts more fee.”Even if this was for any good intention, such action of placing premium on a child’s sex is enough to draw the ire of feminists. But according to an Okigwe road resident, it’s all about money. “Trafficking in babies is as lucrative as any other illicit business, and that’s why the man is not willing to quit.”Sources further told the magazine that more pregnant girls have arrived the hospital either to live there or to have their babies aborted since May 21. Unfortunately, such acts come at great cost. A young woman was said to have died there on June 2. According to the source, at least five deaths are recorded at Ezuma Private Hospital per week. “If we have about five people losing their lives at the hospital weekly, you can imagine the number of people who lose their lives there in a year, considering that at least 30 persons come there everyday.”Newswatch investigations in Aba also showed that many residents of the town, especially those who are aware of Ezuma’s activities, are shocked that the man is back at his business. This tends to reinforce the belief in some quarters that the medical doctor is powerful. Said a source: “Many people are shocked. They feel that it takes a truly powerful man to dare the federal government. And the man has been saying that he’s untouchable, that if you bring him down, you pull many other people down. He tells his friends that he will come out of it stronger, that nobody can pull him down.”But his activities are a source of embarrassment to many people, including his townsmen. He is from Arondizuogu in Imo State and his activities which run counter to the Hippocratic oath, has attracted numerous petitions from concerned people over the years. But the man is believed to have always had his way with law enforcement officials because of his inclination to “pay his way through each time.”Newswatch visited the Police Area Command headquarters in Aba but was told that the area commander had been transferred to Umuahia. But Johnson Uzuatuegwu, who is the director of medical services in the state, said that he is not aware that Ezuma has reopened his hospital. “Following the order for his suspension, we monitored the place and saw it sealed. We are not aware that the place has been reopened. Our team of inspectors will go there and see for themselves,” he said.Uchechi Sam Okorie is the head of department of Aba South Local Government. He told Newswatch that selling of babies is a criminal offence that runs foul of the state’s child right law of 2006.Emmanuel Ahuruezenma, the director of social development at Aba North Local Government Area, said that although he is not aware of any such place where babies are sold in Aba, he has heard about it. “I’ve heard of it but I’ve never seen nor had any relationship with such people.” He however deplored the practice, saying that it offends human sensibility. “It’s bad. It’s not a good thing. Children are gifts from God and are not meant to be sold. They are not material things that could be sold or bought.”Ezuma is indeed a qualified medical doctor who graduated from the University of Jos in 1983. But unlike many doctors who deploy their services to saving lives, Ezuma gets his own kick either terminating pregnancies or selling newborn babies. He is said to have made huge fortune from such practice.He started by first establishing a clinic in Aba in 1987. His “Ezuma Clinic,” as it was then known, was located at No 138 Faulks Road, Aba and was registered under the Eastern Nigeria Hospitals Law No 13 of 1955, with registration number MH/IM/1072/87. Since then, the man and his hospital have become popular, albeit for the wrong reasons.
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