Unbelievable: Snakes Overrun Nigerian Hospital Where Babies Are Delivered By Candlelight
There was shock at the Pota Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State, after an investigation by Badagry Today uncovered that the government-owned facility has been overrun by snakes and left in a state of total neglect.
The disturbing discovery followed alarming reports and photographs sent in by concerned residents, showing snakes reportedly killed within the hospital premises. In response, Badagry Today conducted a visit to the PHC, only to find a crumbling structure that scarcely resembles a functioning healthcare facility.
What once served as the primary point of care for the local community has now become a decaying, snake-infested ruin — unfit even for shelter, let alone for delivering medical services.
Multiple nurses at the facility, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, revealed that more than 20 snakes have been killed inside the building in recent months.
The reptiles, they said, have been spotted in nearly every part of the centre — from the labour room and doctor’s office to the reception area, laboratory, and toilets.
The facility, which caters to over 15 towns and 40 communities, now operates without a steady power supply. At night, staff are left to work by candlelight and a single solar-powered bulb.
A generator once donated by a nearby mosque has since fallen into disuse, abandoned due to the government’s failure to provide fuel.
“This hospital is in darkness,” a staff member said. “How can anyone deliver a baby or treat a patient by candlelight in 2025?”
Medical personnel disclosed that despite submitting numerous letters and complaints to the Badagry Local Government — the authority responsible for overseeing the PHC — no action has been taken to address the situation.
“They nod. They leave. That’s all. Nothing changes,” one of the frustrated workers explained.
The last significant upgrade to the facility occurred in 2021 — not through government intervention, but via the private efforts of Hon. Sesi Oluwaseun Whingan, whose Sesi Whingan Foundation donated medical beds, wheelchairs, fans, benches, and other essential items.
“Since that intervention, not a single improvement has come from the government. We’ve been left to rot,” a staff member said
Ironically, the Badagry Local Government recently commissioned a new health centre in Ajido, a community within the same area.
The move has sparked confusion and criticism among residents, who question why new projects are being prioritised while existing facilities, such as Pota PHC, are allowed to deteriorate.
“Of what use is a new health centre when the ones we already have are crumbling? Shouldn’t we fix what we have before building new ones?” asked a local resident.
The hospital’s woes are just one part of a larger crisis. The Mowo–Ikoga–Zebbe Road, which provides the main access to Pota PHC, has been in a state of disrepair for over a decade.
Despite numerous appeals to the Lagos State Government, only superficial and short-lived palliatives have been applied—offering little relief for residents struggling with transportation and safety.
For many in the area, the road is a critical link to healthcare, education, and economic activity. Yet, during the rainy season, it transforms into a death trap. There have even been reports of students drowning while attempting to cross flooded sections of the road.
This level of neglect stands in stark contrast to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES Plus Agenda, which promises inclusive infrastructure development. While the Governor has recorded notable achievements in other parts of Lagos, the deteriorating conditions in Badagry highlight a troubling gap in his administration’s delivery on that promise.
