As shared By Natasha Akpoti on Facebook. Read below:

‘Queen needs your help!!!

Last night I, like many were disturbed about the news of a young lad burnt to death for attempting to steal garri. The images haunted my sleep. Not only because of the gruesome murder of a human being bitten hard by poverty, but because of those human beings that carried the act and worse off, those who stood by capturing his death with their phones.

This morning on my to the Singaporean embassy in Lagos, I saw besides the gates of Eko hotel, a lady laying on the floor and everyone (black and white) walked past her like she didn’t exist . I picked up my phone and took this picture (below) with the hope that I could share a lesson of poverty with you all.

At the embassy, I couldn’t get her image off my head. I felt even ashamed to have taken only the picture without stopping to hear her story.

Immediately I stepped out of the embassy, I drove right back to her. Woke her up and this is what she said in fluent English.
My name is Queen Okoye. I am 31 years old and a graduate of YabaTech. I am from Orsu LGA in Imo state (she paused to spell Orsu for me). Her father is Mr. Basil a Okoye. Mother is late. She lived with her boyfriend whilst in school. Their relationship fell apart and he kicked her out of his apartment. She has lived on the streets for years because her sister (married with children ) refused to assist her.

I asked if she was on drugs and alcohol, but she said no. I noticed she smiled a little too much but always added “I am happy a beautiful lady like you acknowledged me. People walk by me everyday like I don’t exist “. This broke my heart.

So I asked permission to take a picture and share her story with you good people. She asked ” will they help or laugh at me. People call me crazy” . I told her the God that made me see her will make others connect to her.

I also asked if she had any message for you all . She looked at me and said ” tell them I need help to get out of the streets. It all started like a joke and now I can’t believe how low I have fallen. I might need some counseling and medical attention because being out here changes one drastically. I need a place to sleep and a job to fend for myself . Please ”

Beloved Nigerians, in our heart lies the power to do good and evil. I understand hunger’s pain. I know exactly the danger poverty sting’s delves to ones psych. At this trying times, let’s be sure to Chanel our frustration to the right persons and not the vulnerable like us.

Today, I had an option to be like everyone and walk past Queen but I decided to be better. Everyone of us can attempt a little kindness and love to each homeless person; or anyone about to be lynched by a crowd. A little effort goes a long way.

Queen stays in front of Eko hotel’s fence. She is waiting for someone to read this and reach out to her. So if you work in Lagos state welfare department or know any agency in charge of women, pls get to Queen. Let’s all share a little kindness because it would all come back to us.

Queen needs you’

THE MMM Nigeria, a community of mutual aid and donation exchange on Thursday donated about N2.5 Million to hospital patients in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital who are suffering from deadly ailments and without hope to settle their hospital bills.

According to one of the members, Eleyele Benjamin said MMM’s “Save a life” Charity programme is part of motive the group was founded to assist those who are in need contrary to popular saying that it’s founded to defraud prospective members of the public.

He said, “what we do in our community is providing help for each other. We provide for people in need at a time when other people who don’t need, pay for them and get rewarded after 30 days.

“And part of the motive of the organization is providing for the less privileged. We have come here and seen that there are a lot of people in need financially and we are here to render the assistance.

“We believe that if we save these people’s lives today, they would be the ones to save other people’s lives tomorrow.

“We are here to also enlighten people that the scheme is not a scam and to enlighten them on social responsibility by the community”, Benjamin said.

He added that the organization is not faceless as it’s believed in some quarter.

He explained further that the community is not a scam nor a faceless organization of people saying if not, they won’t troupe out enmasse to offer the assistance.

Eleyele also maintained that the way the community is fashioned, nobody owns it saying therefore, so far people are joining and increasing, it won’t run down and would be sustainable.

Speaking to journalists, a mother of a 12 years old girl, Oyindamola Oluwadare, who is suffering from a heart failure in University College Hospital, UCH Ibadan and therefore needs a sum of N4 Million to be flown abroad for surgical operation said she noticed her daughter was complaining of chest pain two years ago.

She said after diagnosing her, it was learnt she has developed heart ailment. Now, we need almost N4Million and we have only gotten only N2.6Million. “I borrowed N1.4Million from cooperatives”.

The mother of the SSS 1 student of Command Day Secondary, Mokola, Ibadan, Mrs. Rachael Oluwadare said she really thank MMM. Her statement reads, “I have toiled hard to get the N2.6 Million out of N4 Million we actually need. I thank MMM that it’s paying the balance of N1.4Million on our behalf”.

Other beneficiaries of the charity programme were 4 years old boy, Ayoade Muhyeed who needs N300, 000 for an eye surgery, Ariyo Taofeek, a physiotherapic patient, Rafiu Anuoluwapo, Akeem Sakirat Olagunju Akeem, Later Adeshina, Olalekan Kehinde and six other patients in the hospital.

Nigerian death row convict, Chijoke Stephen Obioha was executed in Singapore early this morning, after the Court of Appeal dismissed an Urgent Criminal Motion filed by his lawyer, Mr Joseph Chen, yesterday.

The Singapore Anti-Death Penalty Campaign member, Mr Ravi, who is assisting Mr Joseph with the research for the case, took to his Facebook page an hour ago to announce the news.

“This morning, at 6am, the execution of Chijioke Stephen Obioha took place. I am not even sure if his family from Nigeria were able to attend. Soon it will be all forgotten together with Chijioke’s name, but for the many of us who fight and campaign to eradicate this barbaric practice of death by hanging, and for those of us who challenge the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking in Singapore, our work will go on. And it must.”

UPDATE:

“Update: I’m currently arranging with the Roman Catholic Prison Ministry ( RCPM) to claim the body of Chijioke from the Singapore Prisons Service for a proper funeral in accordance with his religious beliefs.The funeral will take place either today or tomorrow depending on how soon the SPS could release the body.
Will keep you posted”

Chijoke was first arrested in 2007 and sentenced to the Mandatory Death Penalty in 2008 after being found guilty of trafficking more than 2kg of Cannabis.