Homeless man sleeps on refuse for three days

Shop owners and residents along Bariga Road, Bajulaiye, Somolu, Lagos have been trying to locate the family of a homeless old man who has been sleeping on a refuse dump in the area since Saturday.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the aged man, whose name had yet to be known, had been lying beside a dump on Bajulaiye canal, Somolu since Saturday afternoon.

When our correspondent visited the area on Tuesday morning, the old man looked gaunt and his hands shivered from what appeared to be the effect of hunger and weakness.

Some shop owners in the area said nobody knew the family or residence of the aged man, adding that they had called the state emergency numbers to come and remove the man.

One of them, who gave his name simply as Oluyomi, said “The old man has been sleeping beside the dump since Saturday afternoon. He does not speak Yoruba. His language sounds like Igbo. We don’t know his name or house around here. But now, he cannot even speak again.

“We called the emergency number, 767, and we informed them. But we have yet to see any ambulance coming for him. If the man is not quickly attended to, he may die as he has lain here for three days now.”

Our correspondent observed two policemen inside a Rapid Response Squad van parked near the canal, and informed them of the development. The cops noted that there was nothing they could do to help the man until the agencies brought their van to pick him.

Another resident who preferred anonymity said that prior to Saturday, the aged man had been seen roaming the streets for about two weeks, before he became weak and came to sleep on the dump.

Attempts by our correspondent to speak with the old man were unsuccessful as he seemed unconscious while his hands also shivered. However, there were signs that he was still alive.

By 11am when PUNCH Metro left the scene, the old man was still lying on the refuse dump. However, when our correspondent called the emergency hotline, an official, a lady, who answered, took down the address, promising that something would be done.

Source: Punch