Unexpected Visitors: The Story of How I Survived Fatal Gunshot Wounds

HH People

For the benefit of our colleagues, please tell us a little about yourself – childhood, education, interests.

Aderemi

My name is Aderemi Yekini Oniyide, a native of Ila Orangun, Osun State, Nigeria. I have a humble beginning; I was born into a Muslim and polygamous family. My parents were farmers, and we were trained from the proceed of the farm products. I was born July 23, 1969, to a family of fifteen children, ten males and five females. I am number seven in the family.

I had my primary and secondary education at Ansar-U-Deen Primary School and Igbonnibi High school Oke Ola, Ila Orangun, respectively. I am a Financial and Accounting graduate from Nigeria College of Administration. I attended the University of Calabar for my post-graduate diploma in Management. I also have B.th in Pastoral and Biblical studies from LIFE Theological Seminary, Ikorodu, Lagos.

My interests and passion are in farming and general cleaning. I have always been involved in utilising available portions of vacant land to plant vegetable, corn, tomatoes, pepper, yam as well as the rearing of livestock etc. This interest in farming has made me acquire about 10 acres of land in Abeokuta for planting plantain, cassava, and other cash crops items.

HH People

There is a popular saying that there are four major career paths in Nigerian families: Lawyer, Doctor, Engineer, and failure. Lol. How did you venture into life as an auditor?

Aderemi

I developed a passion for bookkeeping and Accounting right from my youth, seeing my unlearned father serve a treasurer in all the associations he belonged to. I have worked in many organisations as an External Auditor, Financial Accountant, Treasurer, Admin Manager, Project Accountant, and now as an Internal Auditor, Control & Compliance Officer.

HH People

We have been itching to ask you this: We learnt you were shot by armed robbers and spent four months in the hospital recovering from that ordeal. Can you share what that experience was like?

Aderemi

I will never forget October 16, 2019. It was a black day indeed. Seven young armed robbers probably in their twenties forcefully gained entrance into my compound at about 1:00 am. They knocked at my bedroom window, demanding that I should come and open the major entrance door. In the speaker’s words “we have come, stand up and open the door gently.” Up until then, I had never encountered armed robbers in my whole life, I was confused and did not know what to do. My first instinct was to run to the kitchen and hide under the cabinet. Then I remembered my wife was in the bedroom. I peeped through the curtain and saw them collecting our phones, jewellery and cash from my wife. I ran back inside to my children’s room to inform them of the ongoing attack. I was about leaving their room when I saw two of the armed robbers in our living room searching for me. They came directly to the children’s room. One of them dragged my left hand and shot me at my right forearm and abdomen. While in severe pain, the other armed robber quickly blamed him for the shooting and he, in turn, told my children not to give me water to drink but ‘ogogoro’ or schnapps as I would be thirsty soon. I fell down crying in pain and said I am a pastor; I could not have ‘ogogoro’ at home. At that moment, two robbers were with my wife, and three were outside. After the shooting, they all left, and my wife shouted for help. Our neighbours and Co-Landlords came out, rushed me into a car and away to the hospital. At this time, all our phones had been taken away, we, therefore, could not reach anyone. Thank God that my wife knew our first son’s phone number off heart and used someone’s phone to call him. He then connected with family members and the office HR (Afriland Plc) about the ordeal.

HH People

Wow, quite an ordeal. Many people talk about near-death experiences, would you consider yourself to have reached there?

Aderemi

The experience was traumatic and can be likened to a visit to the gates of death/hell. I can only recollect that I was conscious till I was taken to the Crystal Specialist hospital courtesy of our AVON HMO. Shortly after that, I did not know anything again until Friday evening, October 18, when I was moved to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital’s (LASUTH) Intensive Care Unit – ICU.

Let me share part of the experience I went through as I was told; I was moved from Crystal hospital at about 4 am to LASUTH when it was clear that they could not handle my case. After getting to LASUTH, it was another story because there was no doctor to attend to my case. I was bleeding, my stomach had swollen up, and things looked bad. All my Pastor friends and colleagues, fathers in the Lord, co-Landlords, neighbours, friends, and well-wishers gathered around me, praying. My immediate family members were running helter-skelter.

My treatment was actually abandoned until my uncle called someone who knew the Chief Medical Officer of LASUTH. His intervention changed the story, and a team of doctors were allocated to handle my case. Several pints of blood, a major operation, various tests and x-rays were done to remove pellets of bullets from my stomach. The bullets scattered my right forearm and caused a terrible injury. I was in and out of the hospital for over four months. To the glory of God, I am alive today, back to duty.

HH People

We also heard that throughout your recuperation period, Afriland continued to pay your salary. Naturally, we don’t pray for anybody else to have such experience within the Group, but we’d like to know: Is that the standard practice?

Aderemi

I personally want to thank my MD/CEO, Uzo Oshogwe, for her motherly role, she is caring, loving, and godly. She visited me, sent representatives and at the same time, organised for prayers. My colleagues in the Group, as well as Executive Management also sent get well messages via phone call and text. It was a show of love and care from all.

Throughout my recuperation period, Afriland was magnanimous in their policy and paid my full salary, which really assisted in paying part of my hospital bill and took care of my welfare. I want to thank the company for having a good policy that focuses on employee welfare and best place to work practices.

HH People

Many of our colleagues are grappling with personal crisis or even health challenges. Of course, none comes close to getting shot and almost dying. But what advice do you have for professionals trying to get back to work while recovering from intense challenges?

Aderemi

My advice for our colleagues is to live a simple life devoid of excesses. Moderation is key. We live in an environment that is prone to risk and hazardous health challenges in Nigeria. A poor lifestyle exposes one to the risk of early death. Prioritise adequate rest and sleep well, follow doctors advise, and strive to achieve a work-life balance.

HH People

How do you find time to relax and take care of yourself?

Aderemi

This is the area I am also guilty of. I have limited time to relax because I work Monday to Friday and I live very far, like some of our colleagues. I wake up at 4 am and usually do not get home until around 11 pm. Saturdays and Sundays are also quite busy for me because if I am not in the church for a program, I am either on the farm. Sometimes I have to be at both.

HH People

If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?

Aderemi

I have only travelled outside the country once to Jerusalem in 2008 for pilgrimage. I would love to be in France, Monaco. I’d also love to be at Transcorp hotel in Abuja for a short holiday.

HH People

What are three random things that you think about that makes you intensely happy?

Aderemi

Firstly, my wife. Secondly, the opportunity to work within the HH Group, and thirdly, knowing Jesus as my Lord and personal saviour.

HH People

Are you a coffee or tea person?

Aderemi

I prefer coffee.

HH People

Jollof rice or stew?

Aderemi

Jollof rice.

HH People

Email or office meeting?

Aderemi

Office meeting.

HH People

If given the opportunity to consult for the Chairman on Group employee issues, what main solutions would you offer?

Aderemi

Aside from physical illness, I think mental illness within the workplace is getting real and is caused by stress, depression, anxiety.

My solution would be:

• Treating mental and physical health as equally important.
• Making sure employees have regular one-to-one with their managers to talk about any problems they are having.
• Encouraging positive mental health, for example, arranging mental health awareness training, workshops or appointing mental health ‘champions’ who staff can talk to.
• Helping staff understand mental health and creating a mental health strategy.
• Educating the workforce.

HH People

What is the current song on your playlist list?

Aderemi

Tope Alabi – Logan.

HH People

Describe 2020 in one word.

Aderemi

Unimaginable.