Omatu brothers, Anthony Joshua, Chimamanda; Nigeria’s emergency services fail us all

As individuals basked in the celebrations to end 2025 and make resolutions for the new year, tragic events in the past few weeks have confronted Nigerians with a stark, painful reminder of our systemic vulnerabilities.

From the high-stakes drama of Anthony Joshua’s car crash to the tragic inferno at the GNI House that led to the death of scores, including three brothers from the Omatu family, and the heartbreaking allegations surrounding Chimamanda Adichie’s late twin son, a chilling pattern emerges: our emergency response and healthcare infrastructure are failing, often with fatal consequences.

The truth is, many of these events happen so frequently that they have become mere headlines in news outlets. Yet, sometimes, the severity of these accidents or the status of the people involved start conversations that make it to the front page or trends table.

Anthony Joshua, a global icon, was involved in a serious road accident on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in December. While he thankfully sustained only minor injuries, reports highlighted a disturbing lack of basic first aid knowledge among bystanders and a prolonged wait at the scene.

If a figure of Joshua’s stature, with his entourage, faces such a rudimentary response, what hope is there for the average Nigerian? The absence of proper hard shoulders for broken-down vehicles, coupled with reckless driving, paints a grim picture of a nation where road safety is an afterthought, and immediate post-crash care is almost non-existent.

Then, the devastating GNI House fire in Lagos. Three brothers, Steve, Casmir, and Collins Omatu, perished, trapped in a 25-storey building as fire raged for hours, extending into days. The rapid spread of the blaze and the prolonged struggle of emergency responders to contain it, with reports of up to 20 people still trapped days later, highlights a critical deficit in our firefighting and rescue capabilities.

It’s a tragic testament to inadequate infrastructure and a response system that often arrives too late, or is simply overwhelmed.

The most recent and perhaps most gut-wrenching are the details emerging from Chimamanda Adichie, another global icon’s personal tragedy. The alleged medical negligence at Euracare Hospital, where her twin son reportedly received an overdose of propofol, lacked proper monitoring, and had his oxygen switched off, is a chilling indictment of our hospital care.

This isn’t just an isolated incident; it speaks to a broader crisis of accountability, professional standards, and patient safety within our medical institutions. When even a family with the resources and influence of the Adichies can face such alleged failings, it begs the question: who is truly safe?

These are not mere unfortunate events; they are symptoms of a deeper malaise. They expose a nation where emergency services are often ill-equipped, understaffed, and slow to respond. They reveal a healthcare system where medical malpractice can go unchecked, and basic life-saving protocols are tragically overlooked.

Until we confront these systemic failures head-on, investing in robust emergency infrastructure, enforcing stringent medical standards, and holding negligent parties accountable, the cost of neglect will continue to be paid in Nigerian lives.