Family Allegedly Abandons Elderly Man Outside Guardian Headquarters as Social Welfare Agencies Fail to Act

An elderly man identified simply as Tunde has remained abandoned for several days outside Rutam House, the corporate headquarters of The Guardian newspaper, along the Apapa Oshodi Expressway in Lagos State. The situation has sparked public outrage and renewed concerns over family neglect and the apparent failure of state social welfare institutions.

The man, who appears weak and disoriented, claimed that members of his family brought him from the Ladi Lak area of Bariga in Lagos State and left him at the location without any means of care or support. Since then, he has been seen sleeping and sitting in front of the premises, exposed to harsh weather conditions and relying largely on the compassion of security personnel and passersby for food and basic assistance.

Repeated efforts to draw the attention of the Lagos State Social Services, under the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, have so far yielded no tangible result. Officials of The Guardian reportedly placed several calls to emergency numbers operated by the state, including 112 and 767, to inform them of the man’s condition and request urgent intervention. Each call was met with assurances that social workers would be dispatched to evacuate and attend to the elderly man, but no response followed.

The Chief Security Officer of The Guardian, Jason Nwaogazi, confirmed that he personally contacted both emergency lines multiple times. According to him, officials repeatedly promised that the matter would be addressed, yet the man remained at the location days later without any form of official assistance.

In one instance, an emergency worker who identified herself as Bukola contacted a reporter with The Guardian to inquire whether the social service agency had responded. She reportedly promised to escalate the matter again after learning that no action had been taken. However, as of press time, there was still no confirmed intervention from the relevant authorities.

The incident has once again placed the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and other social welfare bodies under public scrutiny. Civil society groups and concerned residents have accused the agencies of a pattern of negligence and slow response, particularly in cases involving vulnerable individuals such as the elderly, abandoned persons and those in distress.

Observers recalled a similar incident in September 2024, when a dead body was reportedly left unattended in the Oshodi area for several days despite multiple alerts to emergency services through the 112 line. According to reports, the body was only evacuated after repeated follow ups and media attention, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of emergency response systems in the state.

As the elderly man continues to remain outside Rutam House, concerned citizens have called on the Lagos State Government to urgently intervene, investigate the circumstances surrounding his abandonment and ensure that he receives proper care and rehabilitation. They have also urged authorities to hold accountable any agency or officials found to have failed in their duty to protect vulnerable members of society.

The situation has further intensified calls for reforms in the state’s social welfare and emergency response framework, with stakeholders insisting that prompt action and compassion must be at the core of public service delivery.