Lagos investigate death of Nigerian socialite Elena Nkwopara wey die afta BBL surgery

Lagos State govment don begin full investigation into di death of one Nigerian socialite, Elena Jessica Nkwopara wey pipo sabi as "Elena" wey allegedly die afta severe complications from one cosmetic surgery procedure wey pipo sabi as Brazilian Butt-Lift (BBL) for one clinic for Lagos.

Di Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) for statement wey di Permanent Secretary Abiola Idowu issue on Thursday, 12 March, say preliminary findings show say di clinic wia di procedure reportedly happun dey registered wit di regulatory agency but add say dat no shield any facility from investigation wen e concern patient safety.

"While we dey verify di details of di incident, di state govment dey assure di public of thorough, professional, and transparent investigation wey we don start to determine di circumstances surrounding di unfortunate event", di statement tok.

Na ova di weekend tori bin spread say Elena don die afta complications from her second BBL procedure.

One video wey BBC Pidgin neva fit verify wey go viral bin show as one young lady, wey pipo identify as Elena lie down for one hospital bed, and dey scream as pipo wey appear like surgeons dey work on her body.

One lady wey claim say she be Elena sister, Nelli on TikTok confam di death of di socialite and claim say na Cynosure Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Hospital for Lagos carry out di procedure, wey lead to di death of her sister.

Di facility don come out to deny di accuse, as dem claim say Elena no die for dia hospital.

Wetin happun to Elena Jessica Nkwopara?

Di death of di Nigerian socialite bin generate plenti tok-tok for social media as celebrities, Nigerians, especially men bin come out to advise against undergoing BBL procedure.

Nelli wey claim to be Elena sister bin announce her death on TikTok, one social media platform.

For one WhatsApp message wey don spread, Nelly for di platform bin explain say Elena bin go do liposuction and fat transfer to her hips, buttocks and calves for Cynosure Aesthetic Plastic Surgery wey dey located for Lagos on 6 February.

She narrate how her sister bin undergo cosmetic surgery for Cynosure hospital, di pain she go through bifor her eventual death.

"My sister bin go Cynosure trusting dem wit her life. Today, she don go, and instead of accountability, all we dey see na statements trying to protect dia image," she tok.

Di account tok say two days afta di surgery, Elena begin experience severe pain and significant swelling for di treated areas.

She add say medical tests later reveal say Elena get veri high white blood cell count wey indicate serious infection, plus low blood levels wey require multiple transfusions.

Despite di administration of antibiotics, her condition worse. On 13 February, surgeons perform a second procedure - a decompression surgery - to remove a significant portion of di injected fat, as dem suspect say excessive amount fit dey prevent blood flow.

She bin dey in terrible pain bifor and afta di surgery, her condition no improve, Nelli add.

Di sister reveal say dem later transfer Elena go Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (Luth) on 19 February.

"On February 19th, dem say dem don arrange to transfer her go Luth. But wen we reach dia, no ICU bed and dem no make any arrangement. She bin dey inside di ambulance for five hours as she dey scream in severe pain," di message read.

She add say di nurse wey come wit dem from Cynosure no bring any pain relief injection. "Dem leave us on our own. Stranded, she even dey confused," bifor dem later carry her go anoda hospital.

"On 20 February, we quickly move her again afta we contact anoda doctor. E tell us say one plastic surgeon dey available for im hospital. For di new hospital, dem give us N6m bill for ICU for one week and surgery for removal of di infected fat, becos di doctor say she get sepsis and her condition na 50/50.

"More tests bin show say her blood level dey critically low again, and I gatz urgently put seven more points of blood. On 22 February, she do anoda major surgery wia doctors remove all di infected fat from her hips, buttocks and calves."

For one TikTok post, Nelli blame Cynosure for her sister death, as she allege say dem use "unsterilized tools" during di initial procedure.

Cynosure go take legal action against defamatory video and fotos

Cynosure Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Clinics don give anybody wey tok bad about dia facility or share fake video or post about dem, 24 hours to remove all di defamatory publications from dia platforms or face di music.

Cynosure through dia lawyers Gee Law Firm, for one statement on Thursday, again clear am say di video and pictures wey dey spread on social media no be form dem.

"For di avoidance of doubt, Ms Jessica Elena dey referred from Cynosure Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Clinics on 19 February, 2026 go one Multi-specialist Tertiary Healthcare Facility for Mushin, Lagos for further specialist continuity of care and medical management. Dem later carry her comot for dia go one unknown medical facility, wia she unfortunately pass away.

"Our client no get anytin to do wit di photographs wey allegedly belong to di deceased wey now dey spread for social media. Di fotos no come from our client," di law firm tok.

Gee Law Firm say anybodi wey spread defamatory statement about dia client go face di full weight of di law.

Earlier, di facility wen di mata still dey hot bin explain dia side of di tori.

Di clinic claim say Elena bin initially don undergo one procedure for anoda facility and she come to dem specifically for a "corrective procedure".

For di statement, di hospital say dem perform di surgery and monitor her recovery diligently.

According to di clinic, dem make decision approximately two weeks afta di surgery to refer Elena to one "foremost teaching hospital" for further multidisciplinary care, in line wit dia standard clinical protocols.

Dem maintain say dis referral na di appropriate action for any responsible medical facility.

Lagos state govment commence investigation

Lagos State govment agency, Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (Hefamaa), di body wey dey responsible for licensing and monitoring health facilities across di state, na dem dey handle di investigation.

Di mata wey gain public attention through social media reports, don raise serious concerns about patient safety and di regulation of cosmetic surgeries for di state, and e don spark massive reactions on social media.

According to di agency, na reports say Elena develop complications shortly afta di procedure trigger di investigation.

For inside one statement on dia Facebook account, Hefamaa permanent secretary Abiola Idowu, explain say di govment dey take di mata serious, and dem don already begin professional review to establish di facts.

"As di statutory regulatory body responsible for monitoring, licensing, and accrediting healthcare facilities for Lagos State, Hefamaa dey ensure say all health facilities comply wit established operational standards, professional guidelines, and patient safety protocols."

According to di statement, aesthetic and cosmetic surgical procedures for Lagos dey governed by clearly defined regulatory standards wey cover facility requirements, practitioner qualifications and patient safety measures.

We don start comprehensive review of di incident, wey include assessment of compliance wit regulatory standards, verification of di professional credentials of di medical personnel involved, and evaluation of di level of care provided to di patient bifor, during, and afta di procedure", di statement add.

Wetin be Brazilian Butt-lift?

Dem dey use BBL make di bumbum bigger, more rounded or lifted.

Surgeons dey insert silicone-filled implants and/or inject fat wey dem transfer from oda parts of di body.

Despite di dangers, di British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) tok say di procedure na di fastest-growing type of cosmetic surgery, as di popularity dey increase by 20% evri year.

As at 2023, di average cost of BBL for Nigeria na 1.5 million naira upwards dat na about $1,824.66, di price go don go up now. And dat cost go depend on di Surgeon, di location, di specifications of di patient as well as di facility wia dem dey do am.

''Evri surgery get im own risks and complication'' na wetin Dr Egiehiokhin Isiwele wey be consultant plastic surgeon and di national secretary of International Society of Aesthetic Plastic surgery for Nigeria tok.

''For BBL surgery, complication dey reduced for di hands of certified plastic Surgeons", Dr Isiwele tok.

Complication wey dey associated wit BBL fit include fat necrosis, fat embolism and dis fit lead to pulmonary embolism and den death.

''Di technique wey di surgeon dey use to inject di fat, di space wia dem dey inject di fat and di volume of fat dem dey put for di bum-bum all dey important to prevent dis kain complications'', Dr Isiwele add put.

She advise kontri pipo wey wan do dis surgery to check di profiles of doctors for Nigeria Association of Plastic Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgeons (Napras) website bifor dem submit demsefs for surgery.

For now, dem still dey gada data on di number of BBL surgeries for Nigeria.