Man Abandoned To His Fate
An old man, identified as Baba Kokumo, has been found abandoned at the Railway Line in Mushin, a suburb of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.
The man, according to residents in the area was brought to the place sometime last year by a woman simply known as Mama Tawa who is dead.
An elder on the street, Elder Alaba Balogun who lives on 195, Railway Line, Mushin described the old man’s conditions as pathetic, adding that efforts to locate his family through the late Mama Tawa proved abortive.
“When she was alive, she was taking care of him but since she died, nobody has been taking care of him,†Elder Balogun said.
When the people discovered that the old man had been abandoned, they informed their councillor in the local government, Mr. Ogunbona Nureni, representing Ward C2 Mushin. The councillor, it was learnt, visited him in his shed but nothing was done about his case.
“We went to Tawa and she told us that since her mother was dead, there is nobody to take care of the old man. We asked her if she knew any of his relatives and she gave the number of a brother to the old man. The man is based in Ilaro,†Balogun added.
Another resident of the area, Mr. Tajudeen Falola whose carpentry workshop is beside the shed where the old man lives, said he knew when Mama Tawa brought him to the place.
“I live at Abule Egba but my workshop is beside the shed where Baba Kokumo is living. I was the one who built the shop for Mama Tawa. I am a carpenter. I know much about the coming of the old man to this
place. This shed belongs to Mama Tawa and I was the one who built it for her.
“Baba Kokumo was living here without any problem until last August when I saw him leaning on a pole. He looked so tired and unable to help himself. He could not stand up again. I asked what happened and he said nothing, so I carried him inside.
“I later left for Mama Tawa’s house. She was still alive then. When I explained what happened to her, she sent the man’s daughter and another person to follow me to examine him. Later, the daughter was coming to take care of him,†he narrated.
He disclosed further that another relative of the old man used to visit him every Sunday but has since disappeared.
“He came here one Sunday and gave us N1,500 to buy drugs for the old man. Later Mama Tawa said the old man had stroke. They also sent N3,000 to buy medicine for him at a time but later Mama Tawa died.
”At this point, everybody became confused as to what to do. All we want now is to appeal to the government and good-spirited people in the
society to come and help take care of the old man. He has been abandoned by his family and we don’t know how to trace them,†Falola said.
A resident who refused to disclose his name also pleaded with the Mushin local council to do something about the plight of the old man.
”I don’t think the man should be left to die like this. There is a welfare department in the council. The officials should move in and save this man from imminent death.
”The councillor of this ward was once here to see the old man but he failed to do anything,” he said.
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