Pregnant woman dies after hospital denies treatment over ₦500,000 deposit

April 02, 2025

A heartbreaking tragedy has unfolded in Nigeria, where a pregnant woman in labor lost her life after being allegedly denied treatment at a hospital due to her inability to pay a ₦500,000 deposit.

The devastating ordeal was shared on Instagram in February by the woman’s husband, Akinbobola Folajimi, and recently gained widespread attention on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In the video, the expectant mother is seen inside a car with her husband, visibly weak as he desperately tries to keep her conscious.

He repeatedly called her name and urged her to stay strong for their children.

“My goodness, Kemi, look at me. Stay strong, look at me. Think about your kids, please. You need to be very strong for me,” he pleaded.

The husband, in a post announcing the death of his wife, Kemi, revealed that they initially sought help at a private hospital but were turned away because they couldn’t afford the ₦500,000 deposit.

“Private hospitals in Nigeria… The doctor told me to deposit ₦500,000 and I begged him to start doing whatever is needed to save my wife, we needed emergency support while I run around for the money, but they drove us out like they don’t care,” Folajimi wrote.

“Unfortunately, they blindly rejected us and asked me to take her to General Hospital at Epe, even the doctor knows that Epe from Lakwe is way too far for her condition. Before we rushed her to Epe, she was gone.”

“How???? Such a wicked institution, well only Jah knows and sees all. This is just too much for me,” Folajimi lamented.