Wednesday, March, 11 2026 -The family of Kehinde Albert has appealed to members of the public to help locate the 42-year-old man who has been missing since February 27.
According to Punch, Kehinde disappeared from the General
Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos, where he had been receiving treatment.
Speaking on behalf of the family during a telephone
interview with our correspondent on Tuesday, the missing man’s elder brother,
Olatunde, said Kehinde had battled alcoholism for years and was preparing to
begin a rehabilitation programme that required him to undergo medical tests.
He explained that Kehinde was taken to the hospital on
February 26 alongside his twin brother for preliminary examinations ahead of
the rehabilitation.
“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 death,
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, while at the hospital, Kehinde suddenly
developed seizures and convulsions and was immediately admitted.
“When we got to the hospital, he suddenly started having
seizures and convulsions, so he was admitted. After treatment by the medical
staff, he became better later that Thursday,” he added.
Olatunde said he returned to the hospital the following day
to purchase some prescribed drugs, leaving Kehinde in the care of his twin
brother.
“On Friday, I went to get some drugs and left him with his
twin brother because he was in better health,” he said.
He explained that he later saw the twin brother on the
street and became worried.
“Later that night, I was surprised to see his twin brother
on the street. When I asked why he had left Kehinde at the hospital, he said
the hospital workers chased them away,” he said.
However, Olatunde said hospital staff told him a different
story when he returned to the facility.
“They told me that Kehinde and his twin brother had made
several attempts to run away from the hospital but were restrained. They said
that while they were scrutinising their files, Kehinde sneaked out of the
premises.
“That was on Friday, February 27, around 8 p.m. We have been
searching for him since then. We have already lost our mother, and Kehinde is
42 years old. We need all the help we can get to find him.
When contacted, the Medical Director of the General
Hospital, Gbagada, Dr Olusegun Babafemi, said the patient was properly
discharged after he and his twin brother insisted on leaving the hospital and
became agitated.
According to him, Kehinde had initially visited the hospital
for medical tests but nearly collapsed while at the laboratory.
“He came for tests, but while he was at the laboratory, he
almost collapsed. The emergency team quickly moved him to the emergency unit
where he was resuscitated,” Babafemi said.
He added that after Kehinde stabilised, his twin brother,
Taiwo, insisted they wanted to leave the hospital.
“The nurse told him his brother still needed some tests
before he could be discharged and advised that a cardiologist and a
psychiatrist should examine him. But the brother insisted they would not stay,”
he said.
Babafemi said the twin brother later attempted to leave the
hospital with Kehinde without authorisation.
“While the nurse was attending to something else, the
brother tried to leave with him. The nurse raised the alarm, and security
personnel pursued them and brought them back to the hospital,” he added.
According to him, hospital staff subsequently informed them
that they could leave if they signed a discharge form, but they refused and
became agitated.
“They were told that the hospital is not a prison and that
if they wanted to go, they could sign that they wished to leave. However, they
refused to sign and insisted they just wanted to go,” Babafemi said.
He noted that hospital officials even assisted them with a
registration payment when it was discovered they did not have enough money.
“I asked if it was because of the N1,000 fee that he wanted
to abscond. I asked how much he had, and he said N500. Our Chief Security
Officer gave him N500 so he could complete the payment. Someone escorted him to
make the payment, and he paid the N1,000,” Babafemi explained.
He said Kehinde was subsequently discharged after completing
the process.
“About two hours later, the brother returned and said he
could not find him. At our hospital, once a patient is discharged, the hospital
is no longer responsible for the person unless the patient is admitted to the
ward,” he said.
Babafemi added that the hospital had circulated Kehinde’s
photograph on its internal platforms and advised the family to check locations
he usually visits.
“He may have gone somewhere familiar,” he added.
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