In 2003, a tragic incident involving a stray cow changed the trajectory of 43-year-old Daniel Emiru’s life.

The ex-commercial driver from Adadama community in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State recounted his painful journey in an interview with PUNCH, detailing the struggles of living with a spinal cord injury.

Emiru was just 21 years old when he sustained the injury that left him bedridden for more than two decades.

Reflecting on his past, he explained, “I completed my secondary education in 2000 and travelled to Onitsha in search of greener pastures. I started working as a machine operator, producing plastics, before enrolling in a driving school. After training, I became a private and commercial driver.”

His career was taking shape until that fateful day on October 10, 2003, when he was working for a pharmaceutical company in Onitsha, Anambra State.

The devastating accident occurred when Emiru was delivering goods for his employer. As he distributed bottled water to a customer, tragedy struck.

“I was about to climb into my vehicle when a stray cow unexpectedly ran towards me from behind,” he recalled. “The cow attacked me, lifting me up with its horns. At a point, I was lying between its two horns. When people started shouting, the cow used its horns to throw me into the air.”

The impact was severe. “When I landed on the ground, I was unable to stand up. That was the last day I stood on my feet,” he shared. Witnesses initially thought the injury was minor, but Emiru soon realized he was paralyzed.

Despite his cries for help, bystanders hesitated, believing he would recover. “It was after a while that I shouted, ‘Why are they just standing? Why can’t they help me?’” he said. Their attempt to lift him worsened his condition, as his neck suffered further damage.

He was taken to a nearby clinic, where doctors confirmed that his injuries required specialized care. “The doctor discovered that it was not an external injury, but an internal one, and referred us to the Teaching Hospital in Enugu,” Emiru explained.

At the hospital, he was diagnosed with a spinal cord injury. While surgery was suggested at the cost of N75,000, medical professionals warned that spinal surgeries in Nigeria at the time were rarely successful.

The lack of funds meant that Emiru was unable to proceed with surgery or seek treatment abroad. “There was no initial plan for me to be taken out of the country,” he admitted. “For them to attend to me at the teaching hospital, they said I should pay N75,000, which we did not have at the time.”

Now, nearly 22 years later, Emiru continues to endure life on a sickbed, struggling to survive.

Legit.ng earlier reported that a tragic road accident occurred around 3 pm on Tuesday near the Zone 8 Roundabout along the Hassan Katsina Road in Lokoja, resulting in the deaths of six individuals and injuries to 60 others.

The accident involved an articulated truck travelling from Bauchi to Enugu state that lost control, causing the devastating crash.

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Source: Legit.ng