- President unhappy with security officials over late night bike ride
- Dambazau, Bello, Toyin Saraki join Aisha in vigil at hospital
- Jonathan, Atiku, Saraki, others pray for quick recovery
Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja
Doctors at Cedarcrest Hospitals, Abuja Thursday continued their efforts to stabilise Yusuf, the only son of President Muhammadu Buhari, who had a power-bike crash on Tuesday night in the Gwarimpa District of the federal capital city.
The crash, according to presidential spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu, left Yusuf with a severe injury to the head and multiple fractures, necessitating him to undergo a surgical procedure moments after he was admitted at the hospital on Tuesday night.
A reliable presidency source, however, told THISDAY Thursday that because of the severity of Yusuf’s condition, doctors had to induce him to slip into coma as part of the procedure to stabilise him.
He said plans had been concluded to fly the president’s son abroad for a more intensive care once the doctors stabilise him.
The three-storey building of the private hospital located at Apo Dutse District, Abuja, continued to attract huge vehicular and human traffic Thursday as hundreds of people thronged the Orthopaedic Ward of the hospital to sympathise with Yusuf.
Senate President Bukola Saraki, many of his colleagues from the National Assembly, ministers, governors and other prominent personalities have visited the hospital in the last 48 hours.
Apparently to control the huge traffic at the hospital, a large contingent of security operatives from the Brigade of Guards, the Department of Security Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force were seen at the premises keeping eyes on visitors entering and leaving the hospital.
A source told THISDAY that the president, who was at the hospital on Wednesday, was unhappy with his security officials for allowing his son to leave home at 8pm on Tuesday for the power-bike racing.
“The president was at the hospital on Wednesday night. He was very devastated when he saw his son, Yusuf, in a very critical situation. He was shaking his head, while looking at his son and thereafter angrily reprimanded his security officials for allowing Yusuf to leave home at that time of the day for power-bike racing,’’ the source who was at the hospital when the president visited told THISDAY in confidence.
He added: “From the way the president spoke, it appears the security aides are in trouble. He spoke angrily. The Minister of Interior, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd); his FCT ministry counterpart, Alhaji Mohammed Bello; and the Senate President’s wife, Mrs. Toyin Saraki; stayed throughout the night of Tuesday till Wednesday at the hospital with Hajia Aisha Buhari.
“While the doctors were working to stabilise him, Dambazau kept appealing to the doctors to do everything possible to stabilise Yusuf, saying the president would find it very difficult to bear the pain if anything happens to his son.’’
The source said that the president had directed that Yusuf be treated at the CEDARCREST Hospitals for now.
“Yes, the president had directed that Yusuf be treated at this hospital for now. In any case he is still in coma with serious pain; so, he cannot survive long-flight for now. He still needs few days to come out of the coma before any consideration of flying him out of the country for more medical attention,’’ the source added.
THISDAY gathered that the young man arrived the hospital unconscious and that doctors fought hard to stabilise him.
Yusuf was reportedly racing with a friend when in an attempt to overtake a vehicle, he skidded off the road, sustaining injuries that made him unconscious.
His mother, Aisha, who was said to have been quickly alerted about the incident, directed his evacuation to Cedarcrest Hospitals, Abuja for prompt medical attention.
In an earlier statement by Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, he said Yusuf broke his limb and sustained head injury in the accident.
According to him, he had undergone surgery and was now in stable condition, adding that both the president and his wife were grateful to Nigerians for their goodwill and prayers.
Medical experts said that Yusuf is in best medical hands at the Cedarcrest Hospitals, which is described as “a modern specialist medical care centre”.
Information posted on its website indicates that the hospital was founded in January 2008 with the aim of providing high standard healthcare services to patients within and outside Nigeria. The centre started off as a highly specialised orthopaedic facility, registered as Cedarcrest Orthopaedic Clinics Ltd.
Before long, it became obvious that other specialties had to be incorporated partly due to the success of the centre and partly due to the lack of local specialist services in those specialties that relate directly with orthopaedic and trauma surgery.
The hospital also offer’s specialist services covering internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, radiology, rheumatology, ear, nose and throat surgery, dietetics, physiotherapy and general practice.
The specialists at the hospital are said to be working in liaison with centres in the United Kingdom and the United States and frequently have visiting surgeons from these foreign hospitals.
Meanwhile, former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar have sympathised with Buhari over the incident, praying for the quick recovery of his son.
Jonathan also tweeted: “I have been in Liberia monitoring elections and only just heard the sad news.
“My family and I are in prayers for the quick recovery of Yusuf Buhari. It is my deep desire that a young man so full of promise should live and thrive to fulfil the promises God has domiciled in him.’’
Atiku also said in a tweet: “Our thoughts are with the first family. Our family will be praying for you. We wish Yusuf a speedy recovery.â€
Senator Ben Murray-Bruce of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also wished Yusuf quick recovery. “I wish Yusuf Buhari a very quick recovery. A young man full of promise. My family and I want President @MBuhari to know that we are with him and his family in our thoughts and prayers.’’
A former aide to Jonathan and a fierce critic of Buhari, Mr. Reno Omokri, tweeted: “Today should be a day when all of us Nigerians must put our partisanship aside and join with the @MBuhari family to pray for the quick recovery of their son, Yusuf.
“There are things that divide us. But a thing such as this should unite us in wishing well to the first family.’’
Senate President Saraki said: “May the Almighty grant Yusuf Buhari a quick and full recovery. My prayers are with President Buhari and his family at this time.’’
In its reaction to the incident, the PDP said it would pray for the speedy recovery of Yusuf.
A statement in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said the party was shocked by the news of the accident.
It said: “PDP as a family received with shock the sad news of the involvement of Yusuf in a power-bike accident in Abuja on Tuesday.
“The PDP as a family prays for Yusuf’s speedy recovery to enable him return to his normal life.â€
The party said it was reassured by reports from the presidency that Yusuf was in a stable condition.
“We also commend the prompt intervention by medics even as we value the concerns of all well-meaning Nigerians and their prayers for Yusuf and the first family,†it said.
