Kadpoly chief lecturer battles mysterious illness for 6 years

A Chief Lecturer with the Department of Agricultural Technology at the Kaduna Polytechnic has called for assistance as he battles a mysterious health challenge for six years. 

Arewa Trust Weekly met an emotionally distraught Haruna Zakari Abdulrazak in his Unguwan Sanusi resident in Kaduna covered in what appeared to be a recurring boil infection. Now bedridden at home and wailing in pain, the father of four told our correspondent that about six years ago, a boil had appeared under his right armpit and a few days later, another one appeared and opened up a deep hole. Three months later, he said, another boil appeared under his left armpit forcing him to seek medical treatment in a hospital. 

“I was going to the hospital and they were giving me antibiotics sometimes around October 2015 and by the end of the year, another boil appeared on my ankle and then it started to spread on my legs like wildfire.” He said because the antibiotics prescribed to him were not working, he was advised to try traditional medicine but said it had worsened his case as the boils started to have a foul smell. 

“I was then taken to the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital at Shika- Zaria where I was admitted for a month and subjected to several tests including HIV, diabetes, blood count, biopsy and histology but all returned negative.” He said after that, his legs began to heal but another boil appeared around his groin and said since 2016, there have been deep holes under his armpit and in his groin making it difficult to walk without support. 

“During the COVID-19 period, I was at the 44 Reference Hospital and one doctor recommended a drug called Lumin from Japan and each bottle is N80,000. I stayed at 44 for almost seven months. When I started the drugs, the wounds around my legs started to heal but I could not sustain it, I didn’t have the financial muscle and a bottle of the drugs last for just 10 days. They asked me to be on the drugs so as to boost my immune system but I had to leave the hospital because I couldn’t afford the money.”    

He said even though his salary still flows, it is overstretched as a large chunk is withdrawn to settle hospital debts after which very little is left for his family to feed. He said he still owes a private hospital in Kaduna about N600,000 as medical bills.  

The lecturer whose skin colour appears burnt said he has been bedridden at home for 11 months now. He is unable to walk without assistance and says he hardly sleeps due to the excruciating pain. “I appeal to the government and well-meaning Nigerians to help me regain my health so I can get back my life, return to work and support my family,” he said.