BABY SHOT BY ARMED ROBBERS IN LAGOS DIES 6 MONTHS AFTER

Taiwo Lawal is the one-year-old boy who was shot during a series of robbery attacks in Lagos on September 9, 2012 (if you missed it, read it HERE and HERE). Taiwo was hit in the head by a stray bullet in front of his parents home in Gbagada during the robbery attack and after seven months of battling with complications from the gunshot  wound, sadly, he died on March 7, 2013 at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba.

After the incident, his parents asked for financial donations from Nigerians for Taiwo’s treatment and MTN donated N500,000 and some members of the public also donated undisclosed sums of money.

The deceased’s distraught father, Wasiu, said the death was more painful because of the amount of money the family had spent.

He said, “We spent all that we had but unfortunately my son did not survive. After MTN donated N500,000 and few concerned members of the public gave us money, more expenses kept coming up. The money was not enough as we had to keep spending on drugs and other things.

“After the MTN donation, Taiwo was operated on and he showed signs of improvement at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. A couple of weeks later, after the bullet had been extracted, he was transferred to the main ward but in late December, his health started to deteriorate, he lost weight and we had to take turns to watch over him.”

Wasiu said although doctors at the hospital initially assured him that Taiwo’s brain was not affected by the bullet, he was later told that the bullet had affected the baby’s brain.

Wasiu alleged that after sometime, the nurses at the hospital were no longer as caring as before and even advised him to take the baby home.

He said, “Initially we were told that Taiwo would require another surgery but later we were told that he was too young to have another surgery and that he should have the surgery in a few years’ time. The hospital wanted to discharge him but I objected to it because he obviously was not alright.

“In late January, his health deteriorated and he could not breathe on his own and was placed on Oxygen. At that point, the doctor advised that we flew him abroad for treatment as it was now beyond their capability. However, last week he showed signs of improvement and was even eating.

“We were already happy but unfortunately on Thursday afternoon, Taiwo passed on, leaving behind his twin, Kehinde and two other siblings.”