A grieving family in Lagos is calling for justice after a shocking and heartbreaking experience at Gbagada General Hospital.
Aggie Lawlaah, who made the allegation on her X handle, claimed that her sister’s baby, identified as “Okolie’s baby,” was swapped with another baby, adding to the devastation of losing the child.
“Our baby is Okolie’s baby, but we were handed Adefisan’s baby to bury,” Lawlaah wrote, expressing the family’s deep distress.
According to her, the ordeal began on Sunday, December 1st, when her sister was admitted to Gbagada General Hospital with a broken water bag and contractions. Despite being in a vulnerable state, the family reported a lack of communication and proper care. A scan was done the next morning, but by noon on December 2nd, no doctor had reviewed the results. The family’s frustrations grew when their inquiries were met with dismissiveness.
When induction finally took place on the early hours of December 3rd, the baby was delivered in distress.
Lawlaah recounted: “A doctor emerged from the labour room with a baby struggling to breathe.” The baby was sent to the Neonatal Unit (NNU), but the family was denied access.
Tragedy struck on December 5th when the family was informed of the baby’s death.
Lawlaah described the anguish, “We were informed that our baby went into a medical emergency at around 5:00 a.m. and passed away around 7:00 a.m.”
Worse still, the father was only contacted hours later, while the parents who stayed overnight at the hospital remained unaware.
The family’s grief turned to shock when they attempted to claim the baby’s body for burial. They discovered they had been given the wrong child. “We had been given someone else’s baby to bury,” Lawlaah revealed.
She accused the hospital of “gross negligence, lack of professionalism, and a complete disregard for human dignity,” and is now seeking public support for accountability. The family insists that the hospital management and staff be held responsible and demands the return of their baby.
