42-year-old man goes missing from Lagos hospital

A 42-year-old man has gone missing after his family took him to the General Hospital in Gbagada, Lagos, sparking concern from his family. 

Kehinde Albert was last seen on February 27 at the hospital where he had gone for medical examinations ahead of enrolling in a rehabilitation programme for alcoholism. 

His family has now appealed to the public for assistance in locating him after he went 

Speaking with journalists on Tuesday, March 10, his elder brother, Olatunde Albert, said Kehinde had struggled with alcohol addiction for several years and was taken to the hospital on February 26 alongside his twin brother for preliminary medical tests. 

“On Thursday, February 26, I took him to the hospital with his twin brother because we wanted to enrol him in a rehabilitation programme for his alcoholism. We were told to carry out some medical tests on him,” he said. 

“He had not been feeling well generally. About two years ago, we took him to a private hospital and spent a lot of money on treatment. Things became worse for him after we lost our mother last year. 

“Our mother used to take care of them, but after her d£ath, there was no one to restrain him and he returned to drinking. So when we went to the rehabilitation centre, we were advised to run some tests.” 

According to him, Kehinde suddenly developed seizures and convulsions while at the hospital and was immediately admitted for treatment. He later stabilised after receiving medical attention. 

Olatunde explained that he left the hospital the following day to buy prescribed medication, leaving Kehinde in the care of his twin brother. However, he became concerned after seeing the twin brother outside the hospital that night. 

“When I asked why he left Kehinde at the hospital, he told me the hospital staff chased them away,” he said. 

However, hospital officials reportedly gave a different account, stating that Kehinde and his twin brother had attempted to leave the facility several times. 

According to the hospital, Kehinde later slipped out of the premises while staff were reviewing their documents. 

Since then, the family says they have been searching for him without success. 

“We have been looking for him everywhere since that day. We have already lost our mother, and we are pleading with the public to help us find him,” Olatunde said. 

According to Punch, when contacted, the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Olusegun Babafemi, said Kehinde had initially visited the facility for tests but nearly collapsed at the laboratory and was rushed to the emergency unit where he was stabilised. 

Babafemi said the patient’s twin brother later insisted they wanted to leave the hospital despite advice from medical staff that further examinations, including assessments by a cardiologist and a psychiatrist, were required. 

According to him, the hospital informed them that they could leave if they completed a discharge process, which they eventually did. 

“Once a patient is discharged, the hospital is no longer responsible for the individual unless the person is admitted to the ward,” Babafemi explained. 

He added that the hospital had circulated Kehinde’s photograph internally and advised the family to search places he was known to frequent, noting that he might have gone somewhere familiar.