Dele Agekameh, a Nigerian veteran journalist and writer has died at the age of 60 after almost a decade battle with kidney disease.

The award-winning journalist before his death on Friday in Lagos was a columnist for top Nigerian dailies and former Senior Editor in TELL in 2004 before setting up Quicklink International Network, publishers of The Capitol International Magazine.

According to the family of the deceased, Agekameh was first diagnosed in 2010 before seeking medical advice in India in 2012, where he underwent surgery. However, the medical practitioners had advice a kidney transplant as a permanent solution to his complication.

The son of the deceased Fabian Agekameh said his father lost his life due to the horrible state of the Nigerian health sector. He said his father after running series of check-ups and being on dialysis both in Kidney Solutions, off Adeniyi Jones in Ikeja and Babcock University Teaching Hospital (BUTH) was transferred to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital LASUTH upon complications on Friday.

“According to his assistant who was with him, around 5 pm, the decision was taken to transfer him to a bigger hospital. Several calls were made for an ambulance to no avail until they decided to hook him up to oxygen and transport him with his personal car.

“After fighting traffic to get to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, there was another issue getting him into the emergency ward, as nurses who were finishing their shift refused to attend to him, based on the account of those with him.

They reportedly said the doctor that could attend to him was busy and they should wait. He was still in his personal car, clinging to life when a doctor went out there to pronounce him dead, the son told Premium Times.

Fabian said although the doctors had pronounced his father dead on arrival, his driver and personal assistant insisted he was still alive after they had reached the hospital.

The body has been deposited at the LASUTH morgue while awaiting an autopsy.

Before his death, Agekameh wrote many investigative reports and one of them for which he was recognised exposed the network of a cross-border car smuggling business.