What if one smell— one moment—could reveal a silent disease millions don’t know they have?

What began as a simple act of kindness on a hot afternoon in Agiodo community inside Ondo city quickly evolved into a startling revelation about a silent medical crisis affecting millions.

Baba Kudi,( pseudonym) a bricklayer in his late fifties, stood helplessly by the dusty roadside, leaning heavily on his wooden staff. For years, he had battled a lingering wound in his left leg— one he believed was spiritual.

But on this day, he sought only a ride. A passing driver recognized him instantly. According to the driver, “He was my bricklaying master when I was a young apprentice… I couldn’t just pass him.” He pulled over.

But the moment Baba Kudi settled into the car, a pungent odor filled the air, forcing the driver’s wife to gasp for fresh air and reflexively spit from the window.

What seemed like an embarrassing moment was actually a warning sign of a deeper medical issue. Health experts say foul-smelling leg wounds are often linked to advanced diabetic infections, a condition capable of destroying tissue without patients noticing.

The driver, concerned for the elderly man, later consulted a medical professional who confirmed what many Nigerians still overlook:

The symptoms pointed strongly toward undiagnosed diabetes.

According to the United Nations, 422 million adults now live with the condition globally— compared with 108 million in 1980—making cases like Baba Kudi’s more common than ever.

His story marks the beginning of a troubling but important journey into the reality of diabetes across Nigerian communities.

“Next Episode”👇

EPISODE 2: SPIRITUAL ATTACK OR DIABETES? WHY NIGERIANS MISDIAGNOSE THEMSELVES