By EBUN SESSOU
To Ademola Ibirogba, 32, life is full of mysteries. The story of his life started when he had to drop out of school because there was no financial support from his family side. That was in 1993. In 1995, he became an apprentice  and learnt  battery charging. In 2001, he became a boss and set up his own battery charging business. Although the business was little, he was content with it.

And everything was going on well because the business paved way for him to be able to take care of his parents and siblings.  He was enjoying his business and hoping that one day, he would become a dealer  in battery manufacturing. And as God would  have it, he got married to his lovely wife and the marriage produced two lovely children, a boy and a girl.

Then, he became a  driver and  the ugly side of life visited his household and since then, life has been unfair to him and his family. In 2009, Ademola was involved in a  fire accident while saving the life of his boss’s child. He was almost consumed by the  fire. He visited several hospitals having sustained severe injuries. And when he was finally admitted  at the  Lagos State Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, he  spent eight months without being attended to.

But fortune smiled on him when the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola visited LASUTH, and gave the directive that he should be attended to without paying any money.  Unfortunately, the instruction only lasted for a while. The authority of the hospital couldn’t continue to obey orders without Ademola paying his bills. So, the treatment stopped halfway and since then, his life has moved from bad to worse.

And just last month, he was at the verge of taking his own life when sympathisers rescued him from his suicide mission.

In this encounter, Ademola told Saturday Vanguard about his suicide mission and how people came to his rescue.

“I was discharged from LASUTH  without proper  medical attention. Since then, I have been living in pain and anguish. I sought for medical attention elsewhere just to be on my feet again but all my efforts proved abortive. There was no money to pay for my medical bills and so, I was thrown out again.

“Even though, I was supposed to undergo surgery, there was no money to carry out the operation.  At that juncture, I consoled myself. Even though  I was going through severe pains, I didn’t allow that to pull me down. I decided to pick up the pieces of my life. I started my business back and after a while, it grew.

And just at a time to start enjoying  the fruits of my labour, another ugly scenario set in. It was on a Wednesday morning, I was in my shop when robbers stormed and made away with all the goods I had. The sad story was that I just stocked my shop with new goods.

A good Samaritan who believed I was going through  hard times  decided to be giving the goods to me on credit and that after I’d made sales, I could make some returns.  He gave me the goods on Tuesday and the following day, robbers attacked me and took  away all the goods. When I couldn’t continue with the trauma that I’ve suffered from the attack, I felt it was better to die.

“Then, on Thursday, I called my wife, although she wasn’t at home. But I made some calls  to her and pleaded with her to take care of my children. I thought there was no hope for me again especially when there was nobody to help me. And the only business that I trusted has been wrecked by robbers.

My wife was out on an invitation to attend her friend’s naming ceremony when I called her and told her to take care of my children. Afterwards,  I dropped the call and switched off my phone. The truth is that since thieves burgled my shop and made away with all my goods, I have been unconscious. I have been  borrowing money for survival. I can no longer take care of my family again. And I have just made a part-payment of the goods given to me by the good Samaritan.

“Unfortunately, the following day, thieves burgled my shop. And when I thought of the chances of survival, it was next to nothing.

First, my being alive is a burden to  my family.

“So, I tried  the narrow escape of committing suicide. I hanged myself in my room. But the next thing I saw was a crowd that gathered around me  in the hospital. I was told by sympathisers who took me to Igando General Hospital that I was fifteen minutes dead. But the intervention of my wife and neighbours around rescued me. And after spending three hours in the hospital, I regained consciousness. And doctors confirmed that I could go back home.”

When asked what was going through his mind when he regained consciousness, he said, “I was confused. I don’t know what to do. The truth is that things haven’t been normal. But my wife and neighbours have been helpful.

“I have so many problems and I don’t know how to come out of it.  According to medical findings, there is need for me to go through surgery  to be able to be on my feet again. “The surgery according to medical findings will cost N500,000.00. It’s supposed to be administered on my hand and leg but right now, I want Nigerians to help me with my leg so that I can walk again. Right now, I can’t raise my left hand and my leg is almost  crippled”, he concluded.

His wife, Funmi Ibirogba, a petty trader said, “I was at a naming ceremony of my friend when I received a call from my husband that I should take care of his children. I couldn’t picture  the reason for such a statement  and when I tried to call back, his phone was switched off. At that point, I was confused.

“The fact is that since robbers looted his shop, he had lost his senses. Even when I tried to console him, he would turn it down. Since the incident, he has been experiencing  psychological trauma. So, when I couldn’t get through to him, I rushed home immediately to know what the situation was. But he had hanged himself and had given up the ghost.  But I summoned courage

and carried him down. I cried for help and some people came out to help me. They cut off the rope and rushed him to Igando General Hospital.

“And after a while, he regained consciousness. But, he was brutal and blamed the people for saving his life. He said if he had died, he wouldn’t have been indebted to anybody,” she added.

Ademola told Saturday Vanguard that he loves his battery charging business and he would want Nigerians to help him fulfill his dreams. Unfortunately, he still needs to undergo surgery for him to be able to be  on his feet again.

He is therefore calling on Nigerians to come to his aid so that he can pick up the pieces of his life  again.

His account name is Ademola Ibirogba, while his account number is 1028047995, a savings account in Intercontinental Bank. And his telephone number is 08023286812.