Mother Of 9-Year-Old Boy Disabled By Hit And Run Okada Cries For Help

By Victor Enny Ebimimo
LAGOS MARCH 15TH (NEWSRANGERS)-He lives in a different world. The world where discomfort, pains and sorrow envelope its entirety. The world where his closest pals are unwanted but stubborn houseflies; attracted by the stinking odour that permeates his immediate surroundings. He badly feels it; repulses it; yet he is helpless. Sometimes he cries.
The sight of Segun Olaniyi at a very close range sitting down in his own world will definitely evoke extreme pity if not tears from any normal human being. The nine-year-old boy is either shouting ‘flies, mum flies’ or ‘mum is paining me’. Momentarily he surrenders to his tormentors-in-chief and gazes at nothing apparently in self-pity.
Segun was born safely without any deformity nine years ago. In fact his birth was highly celebrated because the family had been expecting a boy after having two girls. He was bouncing at birth and full of life as he was growing up. But eight years after while in primary three, his life was suddenly eclipsed by sorrow, tears and discomfort that are far beyond him.
His predicament started on Tuesday July 21, 2016, at exactly 1.00 when a rough-riding commercial motorcyclist on top speed veered off the road and rammed into him and changed his once beautiful world.
On that fateful day, Segun had gone to visit her mum’s younger sister at her makeshift shop around NITEL Bus Stop OregIe, close to Otto Wharf in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area. On getting there, his aunty was not around but he met a friend around there and they started charting while waiting for his aunty. At a point the friend excused Segun to receive a call but hardly had he left than a motorcyclist appeared like a bolt from the blues and knocked Segun down strangling his ankle in the process. Rather than wait to assist the young innocent boy, the Okada man was said to have cleverly maneuvered his bike and disappeared into the thin air leaving Segun in acute pain with blood oozing freely from the wounds on the ankle.

His cries however attracted people around who rushed to his aid but by this time the ankle had broken; just dangling.
According to the mother, Mrs. Abimbola Olaniyi (nee Ramoni), she had used that very shop before moving to the spot where is currently selling orange at the gate of Awodirora Estate and since it is just a stone thrown so Segun usually went there to play.
“They were on holiday then so anytime we were around he usually went to my former shop where my younger sister is now selling to play. He went there to see her on that Tuesday 21, July but few minutes later people rushed to call me that Okada had hit him. When I got there I was shocked at what I saw; so I carried him and rushed him to a bone setter home”, she explained.
On getting there, she was asked to pay N25, 000 for emergency and the boy was treated ‘in their own way’.
Three weeks later, when Segun was taken back for check-up, the unexpected happened half-way.
“He fainted while being attended to; the bone setters then demanded for 50,000 to revive him; I cried and cried but later paid N20, 000 before he was revived. When they later examined the leg, it had become rotten so they cannot use bandage again. They asked me to take him home that a doctor would be coming to attend to him. The doctor came three times but the leg was not improving at all rather it was getting worse”, she said with tears running down her cheeks.
Unable to watch her child dying painfully, Segun’s mum decided to take him to Semen, a border town in Benin Republic, where she was assured of solution.

According to her, on getting there she was asked to pay a deposit of N30, 000 before attending to her son but that was the beginning of unlimited spending. The woman had no choice than to spend to save her son’s life. But it got to a point that the spending became impossible and Segun had to be taken back home despite his critical condition.
“They collected N30, 000 on the first day. Thereafter they collected N250, 000 and after some weeks they demanded for another N150, 000; which we paid because he was being treated all along and there were noticeable improvements. But when they demanded for another N150, 000 and I did not have money again, I decided to take him back home”, the woman who is from Kwara State said.
On getting back to Lagos, she took the young boy, whose condition had started deteriorating again, to another bone setter at Ojo road in Ifelodun Local Council Development (LCDA), Ajegunle, Lagos where she paid N2, 500 for examination of the leg. At the end of the day she was advised to go to the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, to amputate the ankle.
But at Igbobi, they couldn’t wait for the date given because they were on Sallah break and according to Segun’s mother, “the boy was almost giving up the ghost”.
Due to the terrible state of the boy, the doctor that treated him at Benin Republic was moved and volunteered to assist. The little Segun was later taken to University College Ibadan, where the leg was eventually amputated on September 1, 2017.
“The doctor paid the bill; he actually borrowed me but up till now I have not paid him back because I have no money again”, said Segun’s mum dejectedly.
After spending three months and three weeks, there was no more money for even feeding let alone drugs and as such Segun had to be moved permanently back home to their 65, Ekundayo Street, off Odudu Lane, Lagos, to face his life.
“I could not cope again, so I have to move him back home. Now I am just applying any medicine I see like pain relievers, ampiclox and blood tonic to sustain him. He feels pains every now and then. I am the only one taking care of him with my God because the father has died”, she said movingly, adding: “Even to feed now is a problem that is why I come to this place that somebody just gave me to sell orange”.
To Segun’s mother, the only language existing on the planet earth for now is ‘help help, help’.
“I need every assistance I can get now no matter how small to treat the leg to heal; just for the wounds to heal because it is getting worse everyday. Later we can think of artificial leg”, she said sobbing.
“I plead with all Nigerians to assist me. I am tired; I don’t know what to do again. He is the only son in the family”, she added.
And as for Segun, the little boy is palpably sharp, perhaps brilliant but apparently troubled because of his condition. He also lamented missing schooling.
“It is paining me very much. It smells badly and sometimes it brings out maggot because of the flies. I pray that good Nigerians will help me to live my normal life. I don’t like as I am staying at home; I want to go back to school”, he said amidst karake-like demonstration trying to keep the flies away from perching on him even as he tries to wrap the ankle with cloth.
*For any assistance to Segun, please call his mother on 0812-378-0870

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