A staff member of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), identified as Aliye Saka, popularly known as Baba Niye, was found dead inside a toilet within the hospital premises on Monday.
Saka, who worked as an ambulance driver attached to the hospital’s ambulance bay, reportedly collapsed while using the facility, according to eyewitness accounts gathered by Tribune Online.
The incident reportedly went unnoticed for several hours, as there were no visible signs of distress prior to his death. A food vendor at LASUTH, identified as Mama Bola, said the deceased appeared healthy earlier in the day and showed no symptoms of illness.
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Concern was raised only after another hospital user repeatedly knocked on the toilet door without receiving any response. After several attempts, the door was forced open, revealing Baba Niye lifeless and seated on the toilet.
“I saw him that morning and he looked fine, which made the incident very shocking,” the vendor said.
A medical doctor at the facility, Dr. Babalola, later confirmed the death.
When contacted, the Chairman of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) at LASUTH, Comrade Odedeyi Adekunle, confirmed the incident but declined further comment, noting that he was only authorised to speak on union-related matters.
As of the time of filing this report, the hospital management has not released an official statement regarding the cause of death. Investigations are yet to reveal what led to the sudden and tragic incident.