Mary Ikoku is one of the Good Samaritan that sacrificed her time to save lives after an horrible fatal accident occurred on third mainland bridge in Lagos.
Unfortunately, the Nation’s poor system and inadequate health care nulled her efforts and sacrifices of other Nigerians in the rescue team.
This was detailed in her Facebook page, read below:
The 3rd Mainland Accident: It’s really sad what we experience in this country. We must be very mindful of what we do as well as what we watch and allow others do without speaking up or helping out.
I found myself in an unusual mad traffic 8pm yesterday on 3rd mainland. On getting to the bridge we saw an accident involving 4 men a dispatch rider and an okada man. The okada man was carrying 2 passengers and they had a collision with the Dispatch rider. I had my mentee Arihilam Francis in the vehicle so we decided to pull over and see what help we could render.
So what happened was that some guys were doing one way from Adeniji-Adele/Ebute Ero loop and facing on coming vehicles from Gbagada/Iyana Oworo/Yaba. I didn’t see them do this but that was the account given by the police men. Police said they tried to stop them or arrest them but the ones on bike escaped and continued doing one way before they colllided with the dispatch rider who had right of way.
The accident happened just about 2 minutes before we got to the scene. The dispatch rider appeared to have died on the spot while the other 3 were still alive. The okada rider died about 30minutes later. Then I became really worried for the remaining two.
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We had called for the ambulance and were hoping they arrive on good time but there was no sign of an ambulance. Our plea for our vehicle to be used to carry the victims to hospital were completely discouraged by the police and no one was willing to help us lift the two men.
In fact one of the police men kept going on and on about how the guys went against traffic ‘one way’ and how the guys deserved no pity because they went against traffic. He consistently told everyone who cared to listen how they had been warning them to stop and how they deserve to die for going against traffic. In my confusion and helplessness, I may have lamented in my local language then one of the victims recognising I’m Igbo started calling my attention.
His name was Chikezie, a 23 year old handsome guy with a lot of future ahead of him. He held my leg and spoke to me in Igbo he said, “Nwannem nwanyi biko ndu m digi naka now, biko nwannem anam anwu anwu, take me to the hospital biko iwu nwannem nwanyi. Okwanu so gi ga e save m???(My sister, I am handing my life to you please help me. I am dying, my leg is gone. I told him no that his legs were still intact. He asked me to take a picture of his leg to prove to him the leg is there, I did as he requested. Then he asked me for water!!! I knew that was a bad sign.. I told him to pls hold on that help is near. At this point I asked if he has family members I can call for him” he said his Mother, I asked of his dad or any of his brothers but he said to me, I know why I asked to call my mother please call my mother.
I called that number severally but never got through, I handed the number to another guy who spoke to someone. I can’t recall their conversation because my focus was on the 2 young men getting to the hospital. Then I remembered to pray!
Suddenly, an ambulance was passing, I litrarily threw myself infront of that ambulance to bring it to a halt. They stopped and Luckily there was a Doctor, medical consultant with Luth in the ambulance. They were the good samaritans who helped to evacuate Chikezie and Henry to the General Hospital on the Island. This must have been around 11pm. Medical gloves were given to me and in such quick sweep we got them into the ambulance that whole process of evacuation was what Francis recorded using my phone but till now I cant watch the rescue mission.
Now fastforward to our last moment with the survivors. First we were saddened by the death of those two men but we equally felt some sense of fulfilment that we managed to get those two to the hospital. I must mention that a certain woman in the crowd who joined me in screaming for help pushed some cash into the doctors pocket since she couldn’t follow us to d hospital. Her contribution helped. It was 13k when we counted. Hospital demanded 25k for a start which was raised and paid before relations of the victims arrived.
I thanked the doctor and the ambulance team for helping out, we were happy to depart the hospital at about 2am this morning but just as we all thanked one another and exchanged contacts and made to leave, one of the guys rushed to us & was calling at the ambulance doctor; “egbon egbon that other boy is breathing somehow! They are pressing his chest… and that was how that brother of mine Chikezie died.
1 hour after being in the hospital! I felt deflated, I felt like a failure! That boy that held my leg! That boy who spoke to me in my language for his life had died. He was in pain! I thought they should have moved him straight to ICU! I thought they should have given him blood knowing that he lost a lot of blood! I thought oxygen would have been given but then I am not a medical personnel but trust me, this medical system is completely broken! The oxygen came after he stopped breathing. Chikezie is gone! Henry is still alive but I begged Henry’s family to move him out of that hospital because I think Chikezie didn’t have to die.
If only the right medical care was given, Chikezie would have been here with us. We finally left the hospital at about 3am this morning. One of the guys in the rescue ambulance team will be having his wedding today in Ondo state. The bride may not know what her groom sees in the line of duty but one thing I can say is this; There are so many good Nigerians out there. My prayer for us all today is, if you ever have problem, may those good Nigerians and God be there for you.
RIP Chikezie, the dispatch rider and the okada rider. Get well soon Henry. God Save Nigeria
Nigeria is in trouble I must say.
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