Ibrahim Chatta, the Nollywood actor, has recalled how he lost his first child due to his inability to pay hospital bills.
Chatta, 54, narrated what he described as one of the “most painful experiences” of his life during in a recent interview with Abiola Orisile Events & Parties TV.
The actor revealed that his first child was hospitalised, but he couldn’t afford the medical fees.
Chatta said in a bid to save his daughter, he walked nearly 10 kilometers in search of money, trekking from Ijora-Badia to Itolo in Orile, then through Lawanson to Costain, and finally to Makoko, areas where he once sold puff-puff to make ends meet.
The film star revealed that despite his efforts, he couldn’t gather the funds in time, and his child passed away.
Chatta recounted that his daughter was buried in a modest manner, wrapped in an old wooden Coca-Cola crate, as he couldn’t afford a proper casket.
“My first child is not Malik. The first child I had died. The hospital requested payment for her care. I trekked from Ijora-Badia. From Badia, I trekked to Itolo in Orile. From there, I trekked across Lawanson to Costain. All the way to Makoko. Those were the places used to hawk puff-puff. I did not get money until the child died,” he said.
“They buried her with the wooden Coca-Cola tray.
“The day I went to Dubai, I bought a diamond chain for the only girl to put on her leg. Her mother felt somehow, and said she was not the one who gave birth to her. I told her I had a female child before and explained how she died. They all cried. They have never heard that story from me.
“I love all my children. God gave me three. But I want more children.”