A 44-year-old Daniel Imo, who has been paralysed for the past 23 years, has cried out for help from governments and public-spirited individuals.
In a chat with Blueprint in Calabar, Imo, who hails from Adadama community in Abi local government area of Cross River state, said an accident he suffered at his workplace, resulted in a spinal cord injury and left him bedridden for the past 23 years.
Speaking while appealing to governments at all levels for assistance, he said the incident occurred on October 10, 2003, while he was working as a delivery van driver for a pharmaceutical company in Onitsha, Anambra state.
He added that he was delivering goods to customers in Fegge, near the River Niger Bridge, when a stray cow suddenly charged at him, knocking him down and leaving him with severe injuries.
He said he was initially treated at a nearby clinic before being referred to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, where medical examinations confirmed that he had suffered a cervical spinal cord injury.
Doctors, he said, requested an initial deposit of N75,000 for surgery, but his family could not raise the money.
Imo further alleged that funds reportedly released by his employer for his treatment were diverted by a company manager, a development he said, was later uncovered by the company’s director after his relatives confronted the management over the company’s failure to provide adequate support during his prolonged hospitalisation.
He said he was eventually taken back to his village, where he remained bedridden until 2014, when communal violence between Adadama in Cross River state and a neighbouring community in Ebonyi state forced his family to flee for safety.
He added that his relatives had no option but to leave him behind because they could not carry him through the bush while fleeing the attack.
He said he was locked inside the house before his family fled and was later rescued after a distress message he posted on Facebook attracted the attention of a Nigerian based in the United Kingdom, who arranged for his evacuation from the community.