A 21-year-old first-time mother, Iqmat Yinusa, has cried out for help after watching her newborn son grow inside a hospital cot, a tiny space he has never been allowed to leave because of an unpaid medical bill running into hundreds of thousands of naira.
It was reports that for more than three months, the young mother and her baby have remained at Lifeline Paediatric Hospital, Alekuwodo, Osogbo, Osun State, since August, unable to go home after treatment was completed, following the family’s inability to settle the hospital charges.
Yinusa, who hails from Iree, Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State, shared the harrowing experience of her family with The PUNCH.
With hurried steps and visible anxiety, Yinusa approached journalists, and before she could be asked a question, the young woman knelt down in greeting and pleaded for help.
“Ekaasan sir (Good afternoon sir). Please help me. My child and I have been here since August this year, and we’re not allowed to go because we couldn’t pay the hospital bill,” she said, her voice shaking with emotion.
Three Days of Labour, Emergency CS
Yinusa narrated that her ordeal began after she went into labour and spent three days at two different hospitals, hoping for a normal delivery.
She was first admitted to a hospital in Iree before being transferred to another private hospital in Iragbiji, where doctors later advised a Caesarean section due to complications.
“I was shocked when I was told I would undergo a CS. We didn’t expect it, although I had been in labour for three days. I was first admitted in Iree, then transferred to Iragbiji, where I spent two days before the procedure. It was a painful experience,” she recalled.
According to her, the baby became weak before delivery and was rushed out immediately after birth for specialist care at Lifeline Paediatric Hospital in Osogbo.
“My baby was rushed out of the hospital after delivery. I was told he was weak because of the labour stress and needed urgent medical attention. He was taken to Lifeline Hospital in Osogbo,” she said.
She added that being separated from her newborn at birth was traumatic. Yinusa said, “Despite being in pain, I wanted to stay with him. Being separated from my baby at birth was harrowing. I kept praying for a quick recovery and divine intervention so I could be with him.”
Mother Battles Health Complications
Yinusa’s health deteriorated after delivery, delaying her reunion with her child for about a month. She said she was stabilised with two pints of blood and several sachets of intravenous fluids.
By the time she was strong enough to join her baby at the hospital, the family’s finances had already been badly stretched.
“All I wanted was to be near my child,” she said.
At Lifeline Hospital, the baby was placed on oxygen for more than a week. Recalling her first meeting with her son after weeks of separation, Yinusa broke down in tears.
“I burst into tears when I saw where he was placed. It was such an emotional moment for me. I held him tight for the first time after a month. The hospital staff had been taking care of him, feeding him with baby formula. May no mother experience what I am going through,” she prayed.
She said breastfeeding was initially difficult as a first-time mother but improved over time.
“By the time I joined him, he had completed treatment, so my role was mainly cleaning and feeding him,” Yinusa explained.
Restricted Access Due To Unpaid Bills
It was reports that despite being allowed to stay in the hospital, Yinusa said her interaction with her baby was restricted because of the unpaid bill.
She explained that she could feed and clean her child, but was not allowed to hold him for long, for fear of being sent away by hospital staff.
“Till this moment, I haven’t been able to take my son home. I also can’t hold him for too long because of the hospital rules,” she said tearfully.
The young mother lamented that her baby, since birth, has never experienced life outside the hospital ward.
“Since birth, my baby has not seen the outside world. He has been confined to a small baby pod. The space is cramped, and rashes have appeared all over his body,” she said.
Explaining why her son had not been discharged, Yinusa said the hospital bill had become overwhelming for the family.
“We are owing the hospital. We couldn’t afford the bill, which is running to about ₦700,000. All the treatment amounted to over ₦800,000, but we made a deposit of ₦150,000 initially,” she explained.
She added that they had remained in the hospital since the first week of September, even after her baby completed treatment.
“I’m not blaming the hospital management; they have tried for us. I am appealing to well-meaning Nigerians to come to our aid,” the mother said.
‘I Am Exhausted’ – Father Speaks
The baby’s father, Sodiq, who spoke with journalists on the phone, said the experience had left him emotionally and financially drained.
The well-known moulder disclosed that he had spent over ₦900,000 on the treatment of his wife and child.
“This situation has drained me emotionally and financially,” he said.
According to him, his son was admitted on August 24 and completed about 15 days of treatment, but was not released due to the unpaid bill.
“My son has been detained for over three months because we couldn’t pay the hospital bill. He has spent nearly three months at the hospital now,” Sodiq.
Sodiq further explained the financial burden the family had borne since August.
“My wife underwent surgery to deliver the baby. She received two pints of blood transfusion. We deposited ₦150,000 before treatment started. The baby was on oxygen for eight days,” he said.
He added, “I spent ₦9,000 every four days on baby food. That’s almost ₦20,000 per week. We ran several tests for my wife and the baby, which cost a lot. I mould and fix well rings, but there is no patronage now. Nobody is willing to give me a loan.”
Appealing for public assistance, he said, “Please help us. Even if we manage to pay the bill now, what will we eat afterwards?”
Findings by reporters revealed that Yinusa’s experience is not isolated, as at least two other mothers were previously detained at the same hospital for over two months due to unpaid medical bills.
They were, however, released a few weeks ago after funds were raised to settle their bills.
The Federal Government has constituted a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of 37 people detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State over suspected illegal mining.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the constitution of the committee on Saturday, following a directive by President Bola Tinubu for a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
The 37 detainees died on Thursday, September 17, 2026, while in the custody of the NSCDC Niger State Command.
The cause of the deaths has not been established, with authorities ordering investigations to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In a statement signed by the minister, the government said the committee would establish the identities of the deceased and investigate their arrests, detention and the cause and circumstances of their deaths.
It would also determine responsibility, complicity, negligence and misconduct, as well as recommend appropriate action, compensation where applicable and measures to prevent a recurrence.
“Any attempt to destroy or conceal evidence, intimidate witnesses or obstruct the investigation will be treated as a serious offence,” he said.
The committee is chaired by retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, while Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma (SAN), former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, will serve as secretary.
Other members include retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma; Professor Olayinka Buhari, a professor of Histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; a representative of the Minna Emirate Council; and a representative of the Niger State Government.
The committee also includes Alhaji Liman Sulaiman, National Secretary of the Miners Association of Nigeria; lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju; Mrs Zainab Suleiman Okino of Blueprint Newspaper; and public affairs analyst, Dr George Agbakahi.
According to the statement, the committee may co-opt relevant experts, access facilities and documents, visit relevant locations and request memoranda from members of the public.
It has two weeks to complete its work and submit its report to the minister.
The minister also expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and appealed for calm while the investigation continues.
The witness of the Department of State Service, DSS in the ongoing trial of five alleged Ansaru terror group members on Friday, September 18 told the Federal High Court in Abuja that their abductors fed them only when it was convenient for them.
The witness code named AAA who was one of the victims of Orire school abduction said they were seriously traumatised during and after their ordeal that lasted 56 days.
Under cross examination by the counsel to the five accused persons Mr Bala Dakum, the witness said they were offered food by the abductors at their own convenient time despite the presence of little children of 18 months among them.
She admitted that the alleged kidnappers used the mobile phone of the victims to contact government officials but said she did not know the phone number of the government officials that were called.
She further told the court that upon their rescue by security operatives, she was interrogated by DSS operatives in their office and also while in the hospital.
Answering a question, the witness admitted that the three out of the five defendants on trial were with them in the forest while she got to know the other two during interrogation at the DSS office.
She also told the court that Michael Oyedokun and John Olaleye were killed at camp A and Camp B respectively but that she was not present at the scene where they were beheaded.
The witness further told the court that because she was not at the scene where the two teachers were beheaded, she did not know the specific kidnappers that carried out the killing.
group of protesters on Friday took to the streets in Oyo State to demonstrate against the Iru Ekun Security Network, a private security outfit associated with Yoruba Nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
The protesters, who carried placards, accused the security outfit of allegedly discriminating against people from some ethnic groups and called for equal treatment of all residents irrespective of their tribe or background.
Some of the placards displayed during the protest read: “Say No To Iru Ekun, Crime Knows No Tribe,” “A Criminal Is A Criminal. One Nation, One People, One Nigeria,” and “Our Diversity Is Our Strength.”
The demonstration comes amid growing public debate and criticism surrounding the activities and methods of the Iru Ekun Security Network, particularly concerns over the role of privately organised security groups and their relationship with formal law-enforcement agencies.
The latest controversy followed an incident in Oyo State in which Iru Ekun operatives were accused of obstructing police officers who were attempting to arrest a suspect in Ibadan.
A rights group, Vocalpoint Human Rights Initiative (VOHRI), on Wednesday warned against allowing Iru Ekun or any other private group to operate as a parallel law-enforcement institution.
The group said no individual or organisation should be allowed to determine who should be arrested or punished without lawful authority and due process.
The criticism also comes after reports of confrontations involving Iru Ekun operatives during security operations in Oyo State.
In June, members of the group reportedly came under attack during a surveillance operation in the Old Oyo National Park while searching for suspected kidnappers and armed criminals. Igboho subsequently vowed that the group would continue its anti-kidnapping operations in the South-West.
Iru Ekun was established by Igboho as a community security initiative aimed at tackling kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities across parts of the South-West.
At the launch of the Lagos chapter earlier this month, Igboho directed members of the network operating in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti states to intensify efforts against criminality.
According to reports, Igboho said the group would confront anyone threatening peace and security regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation and urged its members to operate within the law.
However, critics have continued to question the structure, accountability and methods of the privately organised security network, particularly given the existence of established state security structures such as the police and Amotekun.
A recent commentary published by Nigerian Tribune also raised concerns about the regulation and oversight of Iru Ekun, while discussing Igboho’s growing involvement in regional security matters.
The protesters’ demonstration on Friday adds a new dimension to the debate, with the placards emphasising ethnic inclusiveness and warning against treating crime through a tribal lens.
The protesters called for security operations to be conducted without discrimination, insisting that criminality should be addressed based on individual conduct rather than ethnic identity.
