Father of Abuja robbery victim speaks on late daughter’s plans

Joseph Olorunfemi, the father of late Greatness Olorunfemi, a victim of ‘one-chance’ robbers in Abuja, has spoken on the dreams of the deceased.

Mr Olorunfemi said his daughter had planned to travel to the United States of America to pursue her PhD in Microbiology before her tragic passing.

The bereaved spoke at a press briefing organised by the Young African Leaders Initiative Network (YALI) in Abuja on Thursday, noting that the deceased was his first child.

He said the longest conversation he had with his late daughter was on 23 September, when they had a conference call.

He said; “Greatness was the beginning of my strength, my firstborn, my first daughter, well-learned, and still aspiring to learn. My longest last discussion with her was on Saturday, 23 September at 4 p.m. in a conference call with two friends from the United States in respect of her ambition to further her education in 2024.

“There and then, she delivered her profile, and a decision was made that she would commence her PhD in Microbiology in July 2024. We ended the meeting with excitement, and by Monday, she began to supply the necessary documents to facilitate the relocation.”

The bereaved father said he received a rude shock on 28 September to come to Maitama District Hospital, Abuja, where the late Ms Olorunfemi was said to be receiving treatment.

“I picked the next available flight to Abuja where I met Pastor Adedayo of Elevation Church and the representatives of the Family Worship Centre and Ignite Intercessory Fellowship, Abuja, who were already waiting for me at the General Hospital,” he said.

Robbery Victim

Ms Olorunfemi, a community developer and member of YALI, tragically died at the Maitama General Hospital where she was allegedly denied treatment for not providing a police report.

According to witnesses, she was pushed out of a fast-moving vehicle along the Maitama-Kubwa highway on Tuesday by hoodlums who had reportedly robbed her.

Allegations

Meanwhile, the Maitama General Hospital has been accused of negligence in the death of Ms Olorunfemi for allegedly refusing to treat her after she was rushed to the facility by sympathisers.

An X user, @Gbemilekhe, who shared the story on the platform on Friday, said the hospital, located in the centre of Abuja, requested a police report before treatment could commence.

“Greatness was pushed out of a moving vehicle by one-chance criminals in Abuja. She was rushed to Maitama General Hospital, and they refused to attend to her, demanding a police report. She died afterwards,” the tweet read.

Mr Olorunfemi, the deceased’s father, said being denied immediate treatment by the hospital is “inhuman, cruel, injustice, negligence, and disregard for human life.”

He noted that if the demand for police reports continues, it will have negative implications for the society.

“My daughter has died, myself, and the entire family have accepted God’s verdict. But demanding and the quest for justice as assured by the investigating unit of the Nigerian police, is only for the benefit of our nation because we do not know whose turn it may be tomorrow.”

The Minister of the FCT, Nyesome Wike, has already established a nine-member independent panel, to investigate the death.

Moving on

Mr Olorunfemi appealed to aggrieved friends, families, colleagues, church members, and organisations, to sue for peace and allow the government to carry on its investigation.

He said the investigation would help the government to ensure that society is safe to live in and that health workers respect the laws.

“We cannot bring Greatness back to life but actions and decisions can be made to correct errors in our medical organisations, as well as bring positive change to the security systems, this could serve as one of the legacies for the death of my daughter,” he said.

He said he would continue the legacy his late daughter left behind by improving the lives of teenagers, less privileged, and young adults.

Campaign for change

Meanwhile, the Coordinator of YALI Network, Abuja, Moyosoluwa Oladayo, said the organisation has commenced a two-week campaign to ensure that the incident births a desired country.

Ms Oladayo said the organisation will continue to seek justice for Ms Olorunfemi and those who have lost their lives at the hands of these ‘one chance’ syndicates and other criminal gangs.

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“We call for a thorough and independent investigation into the allegation against Maitama General Hospital. If people can come to share their testimony, that would be fine,” she said.

The coordinator urged the government to duly pay a courtesy visit to the deceased family to properly carry them along in the entire process as against the current situation of getting updates via news and online posts about decisions being made about their daughter’s case.

Ms Oladayo said the country has failed to save a global leader and put the family in a total state of deep sadness and confusion about how to forge ahead by losing a first child as well as the family breadwinner.

“We cannot compensate them for this loss, but we can show that we genuinely care beyond typing behind keypads.”