The family of 46-year-old Olatunde Joseph Ojelabi has accused the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) of negligence, alleging that he waited for more than six hours without receiving what they considered urgent emergency treatment after a road accident.
Ojelabi was reportedly involved in the crash on September 6, 2026, while driving his family to church along Ijegun Road, Ikotun, Lagos State. His brother, Kolawole Ojelabi, said a commercial tricycle allegedly made an abrupt turn, forcing Olatunde to swerve before his vehicle crashed into a stationary vehicle.
The impact reportedly caused the steering wheel to hit Olatunde’s face, leaving him with severe injuries. He was initially taken to a private hospital before being referred to LASUTH because of the seriousness of his condition.
According to his brother, Olatunde arrived at LASUTH before 9am but allegedly remained outside the emergency ward because there was no available bed. He claimed his brother later deteriorated, suffered convulsions and went into cardiac arrest before medical personnel intervened.
Olatunde was subsequently resuscitated, underwent a tracheostomy and was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit. The family said they later purchased medications and paid for carers and other medical needs during his treatment.
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Olatunde died at the hospital on September 12, six days after the accident.
However, LASUTH denied that the accident victim was left unattended. The hospital said Olatunde was assessed as a polytrauma patient and managed by relevant clinical teams, including specialist surgeons.
LASUTH said his condition was critical and required intensive monitoring and multidisciplinary care, but despite the interventions and supportive treatment provided, his condition deteriorated and he eventually died in the ICU.
The hospital said the family’s allegation that he was simply left unattended was not consistent with the information available to the hospital. It added that management would review the circumstances surrounding his presentation, treatment and eventual outcome to establish the facts and identify any areas requiring further attention.
The family is calling for answers and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Olatunde’s treatment and death.
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