Lagos-bound passenger slumps, dies at Abuja airport

On Tuesday, April 19, a Lagos-bound passenger died at the domestic wing of Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport (NAIA).

Mama Tobi, a female traveller, was reportedly at the boarding area for her journey to Lagos when she reportedly slumped due to high blood pressure.

Witnessed by a lawyer, Felix Ashimole, the woman died in his hands after medical personnels from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) failed to arrive on time.

The lawyer wrote in a social media post: “Where is the money they claim was sunk into renovating the airport into world standard? For 13 minutes, no FAAN medical personnel showed up. She died in my hands.

“A medical doctor on his way to Kano tried but eventually we lost her. She would’ve been saved, had FAAN provided basic insulin. She was diabetic.

“Her sugar went high; She entered coma; No medical attention; She saw the light and moved towards it. We kept calling her, Mama Tobi, Mama Tobi, don’t leave us, wake up, but saliva trickled down, foams bubbled and I knew she had seen a better place and wouldn’t be coming back!

“FAAN and the entire airline staff on ground were stupidly acting as if it was not their business. They kept announcing boarding and NEVER USED their speaker to ask if there is any medical personnel on ground.

“Finally they brought an ambulance from their fire fighting department, to take her corpse away! Good night Mummy Tobi. Your country and countrymen, failed you,” the lawyer concluded.

The deceased’s body was brought to the NAF Medical Centre at the airport, according to reports.

FAAN’s spokesman, Faithful Hope-Ivbaze, confirmed the occurrence but denied that the organization failed to respond on time.

She said, “Our doctors were there. We are not happy it happened. We regret it happened but God knows the best in every situation.”

She did, however, express FAAN’s condolences to the deceased’s family and hoped that God offer them the strength to bear the loss.