“My Wife Died Because I Couldn’t Pay N500K Immediately” – Grieving Husband Exposes Shocking Hospital Neglect

Akinbobola Akintunde Folajimi, a devastated farmer and husband of the late Kemi Folajimi, has opened up about the heartbreaking ordeal that led to the death of his pregnant wife during labour.

In a tearful interview with The Punch, Folajimi recounted how the private hospital they rushed to allegedly refused to treat Kemi without an upfront deposit of ₦500,000. He claimed that despite his desperate appeals and assurance that he would gather the money before the day ended, the hospital declined to initiate any form of care.

“Doctors checked her and then asked me for a ₦500,000 deposit before anything could be done,” he recalled. “I only had about ₦80,000 in my account at that moment. I pleaded with them, swore I’d get the rest, and even offered to sell all my animals—goats, chickens, turkeys, rabbits—but they wouldn’t budge.”

He said he also planned to reach out to family members to raise the funds, but all his efforts fell on deaf ears.

With no alternative, the hospital eventually referred them to Epe General Hospital, a government facility over 40 minutes away from Lakowe, Lagos, where they were initially located.

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“When the doctors mentioned ‘Epe,’ my wife’s heart sank. She was already weak and in pain. She told me it was too far. I begged them to reconsider, but they insisted,” he added.

Sadly, Kemi did not survive the journey.

The tragic story has gone viral, sparking widespread outrage across Nigeria. Many citizens and human rights groups have demanded accountability and stronger regulation to prevent hospitals from denying emergency care based on financial deposits. Health experts say the case highlights a deep-rooted problem in Nigeria’s fragile healthcare system.