Posted on: Sat 18-10-2025

Doctor Jailed Over POP Cast – Court Battle Heats Up as Lagos State Pushes for Full Conviction!

The medical community is watching closely as the legal battle intensifies over the conviction of Dr. Ferdinand Orji, Medical Director of Excel Medical Centre, Lagos, who was sentenced to one year in prison for medical negligence.

The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has scheduled March 10, 2026, to hear both Orji’s appeal and a cross-appeal filed by the Lagos State Government. The state is seeking to overturn the lower court’s decision that acquitted Orji on one of the six counts of negligence.

Orji was convicted on four out of six counts by Justice Adedayo Akintoye of the Lagos State High Court on January 20, 2023, following his treatment of a 16-year-old basketball player who sustained a leg fracture while visiting Nigeria. Despite not being an orthopaedic specialist, Orji applied a Plaster of Paris (POP) cast without conducting an X-ray or obtaining parental consent. The cast was applied by unqualified personnel under his supervision.

The prosecution argued that Orji’s actions led to compartment syndrome, causing permanent damage to the boy’s leg and ending his chances of pursuing a basketball career in the United States.

Justice Akintoye ruled that Orji breached his duty as a medical practitioner by refusing to remove the cast despite complaints of severe pain, describing his conduct as reckless and dangerous.

Orji has appealed the conviction, arguing that the prosecution failed to prove criminal intent, a key element of the charges. He maintains that the same reasoning used to acquit him on Count One should apply to the remaining counts.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government insists that Orji should have been convicted on all counts and is urging the appellate court to dismiss the appeal and uphold the full weight of the law.

The case has sparked widespread debate in medical and legal circles, raising critical questions about professional standards, patient safety, and legal accountability in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Stay tuned as the Court of Appeal prepares to deliver a landmark ruling that could reshape the boundaries of medical responsibility in Nigeria.

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