Ezekiel Yakubu, 30, whose leg was amputated after he was hit by a driver, cries out, saying he has been abandoned to suffering and penury. He is also not happy with the way the police and lawyer have gone about the case. Taiwo Abiodun reports
Whilst the whole world was celebrating Christmas and preparing to breeze into the new year with joy and expectation, Ezekiel Yakubu, a panel beater is left to wallow in self-pity and cry his eyes out, having lost one of his legs to a reckless driver and abandoned to his fate.
When The Nation met him in his one-room apartment at No 18, Otutu street in Owo, Ondo State, he was a sorry sight, as he and his family struggled to contain their emotions. Sighting this reporter, he managed to prop himself up in greeting, with the help of some members of his family and his two crutches. “See how they have rendered me useless for life,” he lamented, chocking back tears.
“The worst part” he explained “is that they have abandoned me. Last year I was still with my two legs, and now I only have a leg and crutches. It is now that I really appreciate the value of having two legs.”
Continuing, he said “I am a panel beater, but anytime my customers bring their vehicles for body works and see my amputated leg and broken arm still cast in iron, they turn back, knowing that I cannot do the job again. Even my doctors have warned me not to do any hard work. Naturally that translates to hunger, for me and my family. I used to be the breadwinner, but my hope has been dashed, while the lady who inflicted this on me is out there, walking freely. But I believe God knows best and will surely judge.”
Simultaneously, he revealed the stump of his amputated leg to show how far it has healed, while his landlady, who had also come to sympathise with him, consoled him. Yakubu’s right leg has been amputated, while a metal is affixed to his arm, awaiting another surgery.
The Kogi -born panel beater described his condition as pathetic and claimed that he has been cheated because he has nobody to defend or fight for him. He said the police and the lawyer who drafted the agreement, while he was in coma showed no milk of kindness, as they treated the case without levity, simply because there was nobody in high authority to fight for him.
Black Saturday
His travail began on a certain black Saturday around 8 o’clock in the evening, as he sat in front of his house on number 18, Otutu Street, Owo ( Ondo State), when a Jeep veered off the road and rammed into him, leaving his lower right leg a mangled flesh, tissue and splintered bones. Luckily, his pregnant wife had just left to fetch him his phone. He explained that that was how she escaped the horror of the night. His sister, who had also been with him that evening, had also left a few minutes earlier.
He recalled that the incident occurred on March 8, 2014. A heavy flash of light hit his eyes, and before he knew what hit him, a massive metal rammed into him, and he found himself under the Jeep.
“The Jeep mutilated my Okada where I parked it, and dragged me to another shop, where it also destroyed their well and generator. Later my leg, held by two shreds of veins was pulled out of the rim of the tyre. It had been crushed beyond recognition. ”
And then he passed out
He woke up to find himself on a bed at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, Ondo State. “I did not know I had spent eight days in the hospital .It was when I heard my phone alarm which usually wake me up for work go off that I came fully awake. In my subconscious, I thought it was time to go to work and made to get up, as usual. I looked up and saw a hanging leg; confused, I wiped my face to be sure I wasn’t dreaming. I tried to raise my leg up but could not .I also saw oxygen cylinder and pipes by my side; and then I felt a sharp pain on my thigh. I also saw that they had removed some flesh from my thigh (graft) and added it to the stump of my leg. By this time, I’d become fully conscious and begun to feel the pain. Real pain. It was then that the doctor on duty approached me and asked what colour of clothe he was wearing, apparently to know if I was indeed fully conscious.
He narrated how I went through surgery and how he wasn’t even sure I would survive. I asked my sister who was by my side whether I was on a bike when I had the accident. I just started asking questions upon questions. Later, the whole episode was narrated and I was able to recollect all what happened and how they had to amputate my leg and put an iron in my upper arm.”
Jeep not impounded
What pained Yakubu most is that the girl, Bukola who almost snuffed life out of him did not come to visit him throughout his three months stay in the hospital. He said “it is only her mother who kept coming. When I asked why her daughter wasn’t visiting, she defended her saying she was afraid of being lynched.”
Yakubu disclosed that the owner of the car spent about 200,000 naira, while Bukola’s father spent about 20,000 naira. Personally, Yakubu said he spent up to 800,000 naira, as he was receiving anti-tetanus injections three times a day for three months, with each injection costing about 2,000 naira. “At a point, when it became scarce,” he said “I spent 2, 500 naira purchasing each injection outside the hospital. I also spent money on feeding. My relatives were borrowing money and soon became beggars.”
Scandalised!
Even Yakubu’s neighbours feel scandalised that he has been so cheated. The food vendor whose generator was damaged by the vehicle lamented the neglect and said she insisted and her damaged generator, which was taken to the police station, was later replaced with a new one. She revealed that they were also made to repair the wall of the well that was damaged.
Another resident who was in tears said “What pained us is the way and manner Ezekiel was treated. They thought they could cheat the young man because he has nobody, but I am happy that a newspaper will now expose them. Imagine, they went to a lawyer who drafted a ridiculous agreement just to let the driver get off for free after destroying him. They gave him 100, 000 naira and abandoned him, forgetting that God is there watching.”
Chinedu Ojaja who lives in the neighbourhood said the agreement drafted was a cheat on Yakubu. “Why should they refuse to repair his Okada that was destroyed? Up till this moment, the okada, which is supposed to earn him income is lying destroyed at the police station, while the Jeep that inflicted the damages was not even taken to the station. Even the car’s registration number was not quoted in the agreement.
Yakubu’s landlady also described the police’s attitude and the drafted agreement as callous. “Ezekiel’s wife is still a small girl with a baby. Is this how she’s going to be living for the rest of her life? Ezekiel is the one sponsoring his younger sister, Helen at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic. What becomes of the poor girl now? Do you know that I have not even set my eyes on the accused, who caused all this problems till date? I am begging the Inspector General of the Police to look into this case urgently.
Yakubu’s wife and some of the residents recall how the owner of the car came that night and simply wanted his car removed, without any recourse to the poor man’s condition. She said the car was never even taken to the station, while her husband’s damaged okada was still lying at the Station.
“Even the policemen who came to retrieve the car were dead drunk, as they threatened to shoot anybody who as much as got in their way.
Ridiculous Agreement
Another thing that baffled them was the manner in which an agreement was reached while the victim was still in coma.
The accident occurred on the 8th of March and five days later (on the 13th of March), with Yakubu still lying in coma, an agreement was drafted by a lawyer and signed by the girl’s father, Chief Samuel Adegbegi. He promised to foot the hospital bill and rehabilitate him, but all these were not fulfilled.
Speaking, Yakubu said “my sister was made to sign on my behalf that the father of Bukola would take care of the expenses in the hospital, replace my leg with artificial limb and rehabilitate me. They also wrote that my Okada should not be repaired. This was a bike that was parked in the compound and crushed by a veering jeep. I wonder how a lawyer could have drafted such agreement and a police adopt it just because I was in coma.
I also learnt that the lady was detained for only two days and then released. Today, they are driving the vehicle about, and the girl is gallivanting around, saying I had been settled with 100,000 naira. Meanwhile, I have spent over 850, 000 naira, while they have only paid 220,000 naira. When I was discharged, the lady’s family brought 100,000 naira as compensation and I have not seen her since then,” he said . Investigation reveals that the said driver has no driving license while the car belongs to her boyfriend.
Yakubu’s wife who is nursing a baby described the day as a bad day. She revealed that when it was time for her to be delivered, the doctor had opt for a Caesarian Section, owing to her state of mind, while her family members came all the way from Kogi with borrowed money to pay her bills and be with her.
A remorseless Bukola
When the lady, Bukola was contacted, she confirmed the incident. Asked about the whereabouts of the car, she said “I am not the owner; the owner has taken it away.” She also said it is true that jeep was never taken to the police station. Pressed further, she refused to disclose the owner of the car “I have settled the boy. What else does he want?”
She claimed to be a Political Science student of one of Nigerian Universities. On another occasion, she said she has left for a polytechnic; and then again she said she is a student at a College of Education, but could not produce an identity card when requested. .
Asked why she has neglected the victim, she retorted “He is lying .All these problems was caused by my father who promised and signed an agreement to give him money and rehabilitate him. My mother also used to go to him with money. My father paid the fees for the amputation of the leg, and after that he (her father) did not say anything again.”
Bukola also said it is true that the victim was given 100,000 naira: “My mother paid 50,000 naira and the owner of the car also paid 50,000 naira .It was his mother who asked the doctor to amputate the leg. I think the guy is poor and needs money; that’s why he is talking like this. We gave him 100,000 naira. Isn’t that money? Does he want us to build a house for him?”
On why they have not fulfilled their promise on the artificial leg, Bukola said “the artificial leg is 200,000 naira, but the owner of the car said he cannot purchase it, because it is too expensive. That is why we gave him 100,000 naira, so his wife could use it for business .I think he should blame his mother who said they should cut off his leg.”
She also boasted that she is ready for the worst. “If you want to take me to court, go ahead. If it is prison, I am ready to spend 20 years in prison. We did not render him useless! I spent a week at the police station.”
When contacted, the police confirmed the story.
