Photos: Woman Dies Months After Surgical Scissors Left in Abdomen at Kano Hospital

A Nigerian woman, Aishatu Umar, has died four months after a pair of surgical scissors was reportedly left inside her abdomen during an operation at the Abubakar Imam Urology Center in Kano State.

Umar, a mother of five, died in the early hours of Sunday, January 11, 2026, while undergoing corrective surgery to remove the object. The initial procedure was carried out at the hospital in September 2025.

According to her brother-in-law, Abubakar Mohammed, who disclosed the incident in a Facebook post, Umar experienced severe and persistent abdominal pain after the September surgery. Despite repeated visits to the hospital over the following months, she was allegedly treated only with pain medication.

Medical tests and scans conducted earlier this month reportedly revealed that a pair of scissors had been left inside her abdomen during the initial operation. Arrangements were then made for an emergency corrective surgery.

Mohammed said Umar died during the procedure, after enduring months of pain. He described the incident as a case of serious medical negligence and called for accountability.

“She is survived by her husband and five children,” he wrote, adding that the family is demanding an investigation by the Kano State Government and relevant health regulatory bodies.

As of the time of this report, the hospital authorities have not issued an official statement on the incident.