Entertainment
Rico Swavey: Hospital debunks claims of negligence
By Funmilayo Olusanya
Doren Specialist Hospital has refuted allegations that Rico Swavey, a deceased former Big Brother Naija housemate, was neglected by its staff.
In a statement released on Friday, the hospital stated that it was the friends and Good Samaritan who took the video of the BBNaija star lying on his hospital bed and not any of its employees.
Rico Swavey
After spending hours on life support following a vehicle accident on Tuesday, Rico Swavey passed away on Thursday.
Following the star’s passing, a video that displayed confused medical personnel around Rico as he lay on a hospital bed trended on Twitter.
A tweep who shared the video simply said, “Health attendants were just making videos and laughing while someone was dying. Sorry Rico #ricoswavey.”
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The video has been trailed by outrage at the health workers and the facility which many speculated was Doren Hospital, Ajah, Lagos State.
On Thursday, Rico’s close friend and fellow housemate, Alex Unusual, also slammed hospitals which do not promptly attend to patients rushed into their facility.
“May God punish these hospitals that take time to start working on people that are rushed to the hospital. You have caused so much pain all for what? What is money that you let lives go like this by stalling?,” she wrote on her Instagram stories.
Doren has, however, debunked allegations of its health workers denying Swavey of prompt medical attention.
A statement shared via the hospital’s Instagram page on Friday detailed the treatment given to the reality TV star on arrival at the hospital, and also stated that its nurses were not responsible for the viral video.
The statement claimed that an “unknown patient” was brought in bleeding and “smelling of alcohol”, given first aid, and afterwards referred to Evercare hospital for “urgent neurosurgical review.”
The statement read in part, “Efforts were made to trace his family and one female friend of his (Miss Ify Helen Eze, phone no- 070**) came into the facility to see him. She and the good Samaritan who brought the patient were told of the severity of his condition, and the need of urgent neurosurgical review and also the need to be referred to Evercare hospital. Miss Ify Helen Eze fainted on seeing his condition and she had to be resuscitated
“A detailed referral letter was written and given to the relations. After an initial reluctance, they accepted the letter. But before leaving the two of them (Miss Ify and the Good Samaritan) decided to make a video to exonerate themselves from being implicated as being responsible for the patient’s condition. Most likely Miss Ify Helen Eze and her partner (Good Samaritan) are the people who videoed and posted on social media for reasons best known to them.
“Doren Nurses pleaded with them to help take the patient to the vehicle and stop videoing. At no point in time did a Doren staff video the patient or laugh. One of the nurses spoke in Hausa trying to persuade them to assist in moving the patient who has already been positioned on our stair chair ready to be moved to the vehicle. Instead they kept videoing.
“The following morning, our nurses reached out to Miss Ify Helen Eze to find out about the current condition of the patient and we were told the patient was currently hospitalised and receiving care in Evercare Hospital. 72 hours after the referral from Doren Specialist Hospital, we were shocked to hear that the young man had passed on. Doren and its staff empathise with the family of the deceased.”
The hospital also announced that it was currently conducting an investigation into the true origin of the video in collaboration with the Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency.
Controversial Nigerian singer Darlington Okoye, popularly known as Speed Darlington or Akpi, has been released from Kuje Prison following a court directive.
Activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju disclosed this development on Tuesday, stating on X (formerly Twitter), “Speed Darlington is out of Kuje Prison.”
The singer’s release came after an Abuja court granted him bail. This decision followed intense public pressure on the Nigeria Police Force, which led to his arraignment.
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Prior to his release, Speed Darlington had petitioned Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Intelligence Bureau, DIG Dasuki Galadanchi, over his prolonged detention. He called on the DIG to comply with a court order directing his release or formal arraignment.
Justice M.S. Liman had earlier issued an order on December 23, 2024, mandating the police to charge the singer within 48 hours or release him unconditionally.
Speed Darlington’s arrest stemmed from allegations he made against Grammy Award-winning singer Burna Boy. The singer accused Burna Boy of being involved in an immoral relationship with embattled U.S. rapper and music executive Sean Combs, also known as P. Diddy.
The situation has sparked widespread discussions, with many Nigerians expressing relief at Speed Darlington’s freedom while others continue to debate the circumstances surrounding his arrest.
Veteran Nollywood actor, Dele Odule, has opened up about the most heartbreaking moment of his life, revealing it was when he lost his first child.
The 63-year-old Yoruba movie icon shared the emotional experience during an interview with his colleague, Kunle Afod, recounting how the loss deeply affected him, especially given the challenges surrounding the child’s birth.
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Odule described the tragic news as “very hard” to bear, adding that he has since come to accept it as the will of God. Despite the acceptance, the actor expressed his fervent hope never to endure such a devastating tragedy again.
He said, “The saddest moment of my life was when I was called that my first child died. It was very hard on me. It was hard because of the situation faced during the child’s birth, but no one can question God’s authority. It was so bad that I don’t pray for it anymore.”
Known for his roles in classic Yoruba films, Odule continues to share both his professional and personal experiences, endearing himself to fans and colleagues alike.
In early January 2025, Grammy-winning Nigerian artist Burna Boy fulfilled a promise by gifting $30,000 to Bethel Okechukwu, a phone repairer from Alaba Market who had claimed to be related to socialite Cubana Chief Priest.
This act of generosity occurred amid an ongoing feud between Burna Boy and the Cubana Chief Priest.
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Following the donation, Cubana Chief Priest clarified that Bethel Okechukwu is not his brother, stating, “I have only one biological big brother & two kid sisters. They ain’t doing so bad.” He emphasized that he is not obligated to support his siblings financially and urged the public to verify such claims.
As of now, there are no credible reports indicating that Burna Boy instructed Bethel Okechukwu to take any specific actions towards Cubana Chief Priest after receiving the $30,000. The narrative appears to be centered around Burna Boy’s charitable gesture and Cubana Chief Priest’s subsequent clarification regarding his familial relationships.
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