Minister poisoned, hospitalised in Abuja

The Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John, has been reportedly hospitalised in the nation’s capital, Abuja, over alleged poisoning.

It was gathered that the minister is currently undergoing treatment at the Federal Medical Centre in Jabi, Abuja.

“Lola Ade-John, 60, was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, shortly after she started manifesting symptoms of her poisoning. She has spent four days at the facility as of Friday morning,” family sources familiar with Ade-John’s ordeal told Peoples Gazette.

The online news platform said Ade-John, a banker and tech investor, has been on a machine to aid her breathing, adding that the specifics as to what substance she ingested and how could not be immediately ascertained.

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It further stated: “Her worsening situation has further set the family against the government, with the permanent secretary of her ministry said to be in disagreement as to whether she should continue receiving treatment at a public hospital or be moved to a better-equipped private facility downtown.

“The permanent secretary, Ngozi Onwudike, was said to have insisted that the minister should not be transferred because the FMC is a public hospital and its services wouldn’t attract substantial charges to the government, a position her family rebuffed. But they remained with her as they could not raise funds to move her to a private hospital, our sources said. A phone number for the permanent secretary did not connect on Friday morning.

“A spokesperson for the FMC did not immediately return a request seeking comments about Ms Ade-John’s condition.”

Ade-John, who was based in London, the United Kingdom, was appointed as a minister by President Bola Tinubu in August 2023.

The Star