By Juliana Francis
In Okiri, Badia East, Iganmu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, Mrs Abiola has shared the painful story of losing her daughter to complications from an unsafe abortion.
Though the incident occurred several years ago, Abiola says the grief remains fresh. What continues to puzzle her is that her daughter was already a mother of two children, and she never explained why she chose to terminate the pregnancy.
Recounting the tragic day, Abiola said: “When she finally told us she had an abortion, we tried to rush her to a hospital. She was already very weak. I held her in the vehicle and prayed desperately for God to save her. Suddenly, we got caught in a traffic jam. We were still stuck in traffic, with the hospital building already in sight, when she died in my arms.”
According to Abiola, her daughter had used drugs to terminate the pregnancy. She lamented that if her daughter had confided in her earlier, the family could have found a safer solution.
“Before she died, I told her she should have informed me that she was pregnant. We would have known what to do instead of resorting to an abortion that eventually killed her,” she said.
Now left to care for her daughter’s two children, Abiola says she does not even know the whereabouts of their father.
The story of Abiola highlights the dangers of unsafe abortion practices and highlights the urgent need for accessible reproductive health services, as well as open communication between parents and children.
Dr Olanrewaju Kayode Obafemi, Managing Director of God’s Presence Hospital, Ijushaga, Agege, Lagos, defined abortion as the voluntary termination of a pregnancy before viability, which in Nigeria is recognised as 28 weeks from the last menstrual period.
The gynaecologist stressed that abortion should only be carried out by qualified doctors in properly equipped facilities with trained support staff capable of managing complications.
He said unsafe abortions can cause immediate complications, including severe bleeding, infections, injuries to the uterus or genital tract, and damage to organs such as the bladder and intestines.
“These are life-threatening emergencies that often go untreated because of financial constraints, inadequate healthcare facilities, or delayed presentation,” he said.
According to him, long-term complications include infertility, chronic bowel or bladder damage, and psychological trauma.
Dr Obafemi recommended training more healthcare workers to provide safe abortion care and manage complications, equipping primary health centres, expanding access to family planning services, and legalising abortion for those who choose it.
He also argued that promoting sexual abstinence outside marriage among both men and women, through government, religious institutions, and families, could help reduce unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions.
This report was facilitated by the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) as part of the Memorial Campaign on Ending Preventable Deaths from Unsafe Abortion in Lagos State. Series 6
