A Nigerian woman has poured out her grief online after her uncle died in Makurdi, Benue State, allegedly because he could not access life-saving dialysis treatment amid a nationwide healthcare shutdown.
In a heartbreaking post shared on X (formerly Twitter), the devastated lady, using the handle @)_Ojonya, blamed Nigeria’s failing medical system and ongoing industrial action for what she described as a death that should never have happened.
A sudden illness that turned into a tragedy
The emotional ordeal began on Friday, January 23, 2026, when she received a panicked call from her mother informing her that her uncle, who had only been sick for two days, was rapidly getting worse.
Fearing the worst, she immediately boarded the earliest available vehicle to Makurdi, arriving at the hospital around 6 p.m., where family members were already anxiously waiting.
From the moment she stepped into the ward, she said something felt terribly wrong.
Doctors and nurses rushed to help as multiple drips were administered and cannulas inserted, but his condition kept deteriorating.
Soon after, she learned he had stopped passing urine completely.
When a catheter was inserted, blood — not urine — flowed out.
That was when panic truly set in.
“A strong man reduced to nothing”
The lady described her uncle as a brave officer of the law — once strong and full of life — now lying motionless and struggling to breathe.
Holding his hand, she whispered to him, calling him by his childhood nickname, “baby G.”
Though weak, he managed to squeeze her fingers tightly — a moment she says will haunt her forever.
Doctors later confirmed he had developed an acute kidney infection and urgently needed dialysis to survive.
No Dialysis Centres. No Ambulance. No Help.
Desperate, the family began calling every dialysis centre in Makurdi.
One after another, they were told the same thing: all facilities were shut due to the ongoing strike.
As his health rapidly declined, they contacted road safety officials, hoping to secure an ambulance to rush him to Jos or Abuja.
Their efforts proved abortive. At exactly 10:10 p.m., her uncle died right in front of his family.
A Family Shattered Overnight
The woman wrote that her entire family has been left traumatised and broken.
Everyone is struggling to cope.
One of her cousins, she said, remains in shock — unable to cry, unable to accept that he watched his father die helplessly.
“He never looked like someone who would die suddenly,” she wrote.
Served Nigeria for 20 Years — Died Without Care
The deceased had reportedly served the country for over two decades.
The grieving niece expressed anger that a man who gave his life to public service could not receive basic emergency healthcare when it mattered most.
She remembered him as kind, gentle, and playful — always teasing her about boyfriends.
Those simple moments, she said, now feel unbearably precious.
“This Is Life as a Nigerian”
Her post ended with raw pain and frustration at the country’s broken systems.
“Nigeria has happened to my family,” she wrote.
“I’m not sure we’ll ever recover from this.
This is it. This is life as a Nigerian.”
Read Also: ‘Nigeria happened to me’, man pens own obituary before his death
