"We want to know why my daughter died", father of 9-year-old Nigerian girl who died at a north Cyprus hospital speaks out

9-year-old Chinyere Olivia Ojoagu is the third child to have died at emergency hospital in Northern Cyprus within a year, which raises fresh allegations of medical negligence.

For the third time in a year, a child has died at the Emergency Hospital in the northern Cyprus. The latest case, involving 9-year-old Chinyere Olivia Ojoagu, has reignited public debate and raised serious allegations of negligence within the healthcare system.

From numbness to tragedy

Olivia, who lived in Famagusta (Gazimağusa), was first taken to the Famagusta State Hospital after experiencing numbness in her arms. Doctors reportedly told the family that her condition was not serious, and she was sent home.

The next day, after her condition worsened, Olivia was taken back to the hospital and later transferred to the Emergency Hospital in Lefkoşa. Following a CT scan, she died shortly afterward.

Speaking to YENİDÜZEN and Kanal Sim, her father Osita Ojoagu said the family was devastated and demanded answers: “Our daughter had no previous health problems. We just want to know why she died. We were told her condition was fine. Now she’s gone. We need the truth so this never happens again.”

Ojoagu added that the hospital’s chief physician informed them they must wait for autopsy results to determine the exact cause of death.

Conflicting statements between family and hospital

While the Lefkosia Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital said in a written statement that the family refused a hospital admission recommendation, the Ojoagu family strongly denied this claim. “If our child wasn’t well, why would we take her home?” the family said, asserting that doctors assured them her condition was stable and advised discharge.

The hospital stated that the child was first admitted with “seizure-like symptoms”, later deteriorated, and despite all efforts, could not be saved. Officials confirmed that an investigation was underway and the public would be informed after the autopsy.

Health Ministry launches inquiry

The Ministry of Health announced that Chief Physician Dr. Mustafa Kalfaoğlu had been appointed to lead a formal investigation. The inquiry will review patient files, CCTV footage, and written statements from all parties involved.

Famagusta Mayor denies discrimination claims over her burial

Famagusta Mayor Süleyman Uluçay on Wednesday denied allegations of discrimination surrounding the burial arrangements for 9-year-old Chinyere Olivia Ojoagu, who recently died at the Emergency Hospital in Lefkoşa.

In a statement shared on social media, Uluçay said there had been a “misunderstanding” regarding the burial process and stressed that no form of religious or ethnic discrimination took place. “It is absolutely out of the question for us to discriminate against anyone, regardless of their faith or religion,” Uluçay said.

The mayor expressed deep sorrow over the child’s death, describing it as a tragedy that had shaken the entire country. “Every death is untimely, but when it involves a child, words truly fail,” he wrote. “I offer my deepest condolences to the grieving family and wish peace for little Chinyere.”

“A misunderstanding about the burial process”

Clarifying the situation, Uluçay said that the Ojoagu family had requested that their daughter be buried in Famagusta’s Christian cemetery, and that the municipality’s cemetery team assisted accordingly. “Our cemetery unit officer, Ali Yazgı, and staff member, Ali Türkmen, helped transport the body from the morgue to the cemetery,” he explained. “In the presence of the child’s father, some of his colleagues from the construction company where he works volunteered to dig the grave to support the family. Our municipal staff also assisted in the process.”

Uluçay emphasized that no irregularities or discriminatory practices occurred during the burial, noting that the municipality treats all residents equally in such sensitive matters. “The loss of a child brings pain beyond words. I sincerely hope that the recent wave of child deaths in our country will finally come to an end,” he added.

Third child death in one year

Olivia’s death marks the third child fatality at the same hospital within a year.

-In October 2024, the so-called “alcohol-tainted baby formula scandal” led to the death of 20-day-old Mihrimah Toymurado in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.

-In April 2025, 15-year-old Hüseyin Değer also died after reportedly consuming formula obtained from the same hospital.

-Now, in November 2025, 9-year-old Olivia Ojoagu has become the third victim.

These consecutive deaths have fueled mounting concern over oversight, accountability, and safety protocols within the public health system.

Public demands accountability

The repeated tragedies have shaken public confidence in the healthcare system and prompted calls for transparency. The Ojoagu family and the wider community are now waiting for officials to disclose the autopsy results and to determine whether negligence played a role. “The public deserves to know what went wrong,” a family friend told reporters. “Three children have died in one hospital in a year. Someone must be held accountable.”

Politicians and medical unions demand transparency and accountability following another child’s death in the Emergency Hospital

Public outrage continues to mount in northern Cyprus following the death of 9-year-old Chinyere Olivia Ojoagu, who died last week at the Emergency Hospital’s Pediatric Emergency Unit amid allegations of medical negligence.

The tragedy has triggered widespread condemnation from political figures, municipal leaders, and medical organizations, all urging a swift and transparent investigation — and calling for Health Minister Dr. Hakan Dinçyürek’s resignation.

“The Prime Minister must dismiss the Health Minister immediately”

Republican Turkish Party (CTP) MP Erkut Şahali sharply criticized the government, saying the Health Minister should have already been dismissed over repeated failures in the healthcare system. “The death of 9-year-old Olivia doesn’t require a knife in a minister’s chest to warrant resignation,” Şahali said during a live program. “A system under his authority caused a baby’s death in the alcohol-tainted formula scandal — and now another child is gone.”

Şahali described the ministry’s response as “arrogant,” referring to its statement that “autopsy results will be shared with the public if deemed necessary.” “If the Minister has no concern for ensuring a proper investigation,” Şahali added, “and if Prime Minister Ünal Üstel truly acts as a leader, he should have removed Hakan Dinçyürek today — immediately.”

He concluded by calling resignation “a matter of integrity.”

“How many more children will be sacrificed to this rotten system?”

Lefkoşa (Nicosia) Turkish Municipality Mayor Mehmet Harmancı also expressed anger and grief, blaming systemic negligence for the death of 9-year-old Olivia.

In a strongly worded statement shared on social media, Harmancı wrote: “A nine-year-old flower entrusted to these lands — Chinyere Olivia Ojoagu — has withered away in a chain of negligence. From the baby lost in the alcohol-tainted formula scandal to families traumatized for weeks, and now to Chinyere — are these deaths coincidences?”

He questioned the absence of accountability among officials, writing:

“Doesn’t anyone feel responsible for these losses? Has conscience vanished once someone becomes a minister or director?”

Harmancı accused the government of trying to bury cases in silence and called for mass public pressure: “We must be the voice of Chinyere. We will not rest until those who betrayed this trust are held accountable. Rest in peace, little angel.”

Doctors’ associations call for swift and transparent investigation

Amid growing public criticism, major health organizations — including the Cyprus Turkish Medical Association, the Cyprus Turkish Doctors’ Chamber, the Cyprus Turkish Dentists’ Chamber, and the Cyprus Turkish Physicians’ Union (Tıp-İş) — issued a joint statement demanding that the investigation into Olivia’s death be “conducted rapidly, fairly, and transparently.”

 “Children have no language, religion, or color — and children should not die,” said Remzi Gardiyanoğlu, President of the Cyprus Turkish Free Practicing Doctors’ Association, in a separate statement. “We all share responsibility for every child living in this country.”

The organizations emphasized that both judicial and administrative investigations must proceed without delay and that any party found negligent should face appropriate consequences. “As physicians, we carry the heaviest burden of responsibility,” the statement read. “We are ready to cooperate with all authorities and support our colleagues working under difficult, chaotic conditions to save children’s lives.”

They also urged Minister Dinçyürek to lead the process with full transparency and accountability, and to introduce sustainable reforms to prevent similar tragedies. “We mourn the loss of our child, Chinyere Olivia Ojoagu, and offer our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones,” the joint statement concluded.

Background: A pattern of child deaths

Olivia’s death is the third involving a child at the Emergency Hospital in the past year. In 2024, the “alcohol-tainted baby formula scandal” claimed the life of a 20-day-old infant, and in early 2025, a 15-year-old boy, Hüseyin Değer, also died after receiving treatment at the same facility.

The repeated tragedies have ignited a broader debate over systemic failures, lack of oversight, and ministerial accountability in the healthcare sector.

As public anger grows, many in Cyprus are asking the same question: “How many more children must die before the system changes?”