October 28, (THEWILL) – Late Patrick Fakoya, aka Rico Swavey’s family has revealed that he was not drunk when the accident that led to his untimely death took place.
They made this known in a press conference on Thursday.
Rico Swavey died on October 13, after his involvement in a ghastly accident.
Mayo Dele, the deceased’s cousin stated that the essence of the briefing was to call the attention of the Lagos State Government and Nigerian medical system to the truth surrounding Rico Swavey’s death.
He said human life should be prioritised regardless of what was at stake.
He expressed disappointment as none of the officials from Doren or Evercare Hospitals, where the reality show star was rushed to, honoured the invitation for the briefing.
Sunday Michael, a Uber driver, revealed at the press briefing that he was the one who took Rico Swavey to the hospital from the scene of the incident.
Michael said he was driving at about 12.00 a.m. along Sangotedo/Ajah Road, in Lagos, when he suddenly saw a car run into a concrete demarcation.
He revealed he heard a thunderous sound which can be likened to that of a dynamite from the direction of the accident.
“Nobody went close to rescue the victim as I beckoned on people around to help, but nobody was willing to.
“I went close to the scene and discovered that the car was locked, badly damaged and the engine split into two”, he stated.
He added that he had to break the car’s windscreen to gain access into it when he discovered that Rico Swavey, who was the only victim was already unconscious and bleeding from the nose.
“Looking at Rico Swavey, he looked exactly like my brother, I couldn’t leave him. So, I took him to the hospital, he was not drunk because I did not smell alcohol on his body or mouth.
“Doren Hospital was the closest hospital to the accident scene, just five minutes drive, so I took him in my car to the place, it took over 2 hours before he was attended to and after being examined, a doctor said he needed instant surgery, demanding for some deposit before he could be treated.
“I took him to another nearby hospital, Evercare Hospital, where he was attended to after one hour.
“Meanwhile, nobody called Rico Swavey’s line until after arriving at Evercare when one of his friends called, she later came to join me, but she collapsed when she sighted him.
“Evercare also demanded for some deposit, but when they discovered that he was a celebrity, they decided to commence treatment on him, I know if Rico Swavey was given prompt medical care, he would have been alive now”, he said.
Dele revealed the outrageous amount demanded by the medical facility before the victim could be attended to.
“Evercare Hospital, where late Swavey was eventually treated, billed the family the sum of N4.2 million before treatment could commence.
“The family made a deposit of N3.5 million for late Swavey’s treatment and upon his death, the hospital management disclosed that N1.9 million was used and that the balance will be refunded.
“The balance has not been remitted as promised,” Dele said.
He added that the money generated from the public, meant to cater for Swavey’s medical bills was still with Paystack, an online payment platform.
According to him, Paystack notified the family of its plan to carry out some verification before the money is released.
He said when the family gains access to the money, it would be used to invest in immortalising the deceased.
“We the family of late Rico Swavey appreciate everyone who has sympathised with us at this trying time.
“We are planning to establish a formidable foundation in honour of late Swavey, it will be channelled toward solving a particular problem, it will be something of value to keep Swavey’s name alive.
“We had over 400 people donate on that platform, we really appreciate everyone for the kind gesture,” he said.
Leroy Fakoya, late Rico Swavey’s elder brother, advised the state government to demarcate lanes on the highway with plastic and reflective materials instead of concrete.
Fakoya, who was sober over the death of his younger brother, said that Rico Swavey died due to the negligence of the medical team at Evercare and Doren Hospitals.
“If Swavey had got treatment early enough, he would probably still be alive now, money should not be prioritised over human life.
“They only started treating him when they discovered he was a celebrity, what if he is an ordinary fellow who is not a public figure, we need to change the narrative”, he emphasised.
