By Dunia News | May 12, 2025 | Lagos, Nigeria
A Silent Tragedy of Urban Insecurity
Urban crime continues to escalate in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city. On the morning of May 12, 2025, Kazim, a private driver, was brutally attacked near the Yanoba bus stop, where he was heading to work.
Surrounded and Shot
According to Kazim, three men aged between 25 and 28, armed with a homemade pistol, surrounded him around 5:50 a.m. They demanded his phone. “I gave them my button phone. When they realized it wasn’t a smartphone, they let me walk away — then shot me in the back,” he said from his hospital bed.
Public Response Saved Him
At first, bystanders ran away in fear. But minutes later, passersby came to his aid. Kazim was placed into a Keke Maruwa (tricycle) and rushed to the nearest hospital.
Refused by the Hospital
The most shocking part of Kazim’s ordeal came when the hospital refused to treat him without a police report. Despite his critical condition and visible gunshot wound, the medical staff demanded he first go to a police station.
“He was bleeding, in pain, and they told him to leave to get a document — it’s unacceptable,” said a relative.
Kazim eventually returned with the required police report and was admitted, but his condition remains critical.
Demands for Immediate Reform
This incident highlights two major issues in Nigerian society:
Rising insecurity in urban areas
Lethal delays in emergency healthcare due to administrative barriers
Social media users, NGOs, and local leaders are calling for urgent action. One tweet reads, “Kazim must not be another statistic. We demand action from Lagos authorities.”
Dunia News Calls for Action
We urge the Lagos State Government to:
Open an immediate investigation into the attack
Improve security in high-traffic areas like Yanoba
Abolish policies that delay emergency medical care for gunshot victims.
