What exactly happened to Dr. Olawunmi Thorpe, an Ogun State indigene, who died a homeless man, may never be known.

To passersby and residents, who saw Thorpe everyday in the rubbish dump beside the rail line at Fagba Bus Stop in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State, he was a deranged man.

But what many people did not know was that Thorpe had a Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Mass Communication and a PhD in English Language.

All these information came to light when PUNCH Metro got information that the “mad man” who spoke impeccable English had died about 5pm Wednesday last week.

It took two ‘good Samaritans’, Mr. Larry Happiday and Mr. Dele Olawale, who had interest in Thorpe’s case before he died, to ensure that his body did not rot on the same rubbish dump he used as home.

When our correspondent spoke to the two men on how they knew Thorpe and their efforts at helping him before he died, Happiday said he first met the deceased about a year ago.

He said, “I began noticing him around Fagba about a year ago because I live around Fagba. One day in March, he approached me and I thought he was going to ask for money. But he did not.

“He told me it was his 58th birthday and begged me to buy him a Bible and a book, ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’.

“The first thing that struck me about him was that he wasn’t the average destitute. He spoke good English with good diction.”

Happiday said he became interested in Thorpe’s case and would stop once in a while to check up on him at the spot, adding that he later bought him the book and the Bible.

According to Happiday, he became a sort of friend to Thorpe, stopping by once in a while to give him food and ask about his background.

“He told me he was from a rich family in Abeokuta and that his father was a former Ambassador to Ethiopia. He also said he had his first and second degrees in Mass Communication and PhD in English language. But he did not say which year he got them or from which institution. However, when I stopped by one day, I met Pastor Olawale with him,” Happiday said.

Olawale explained that he first met Thorpe about four years ago. According to him too, the homeless man always asked him for a Bible.

The pastor explained that he got interested in Thorpe’s case when the man approached him one day while passing through the rail line at Fagba. He said he always asked Thorpe about his family and who could be contacted to take him away from the place.

He said, “I felt the place was not safe and he could still become something great if he got somebody to take care of him.

“He brought out a jotter containing phone numbers of some of his friends and relatives and he gave me that of a man he referred to as his uncle and head of the family – Bode Thorpe.

“I wanted to know why nobody had come to his rescue. In one of our conversations, he told me he was once a journalist. He said his father later established a community bank and made him the manager.”

According to Olawale, Thorpe told him there was a case of financial impropriety in the bank, resulting in his being jailed.

Thorpe was said to have explained that after he left jail, he had a road accident that affected his right leg.

“Since that day, Thorpe said his life took a turn for the worse. He said his family disowned him. I visited him regularly and gave him food when I could. I called the phone numbers of many of the family members he gave me, but most of them did not show any interest in him,” Olawale said.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Olawale and Happiday later teamed up to raise money from friends for Thorpe’s treatment.

It was gathered that Thorpe has children and that his mother is a retired army officer.

A trader around the spot where Thorpe lived, Biola Ajumo, told our correspondent she once saw a man visit him.

“The look on the face of the young man, who visited him, showed that he was really sad. But it seemed the man (visitor) was his son because of the striking resemblance between them. Another resident said a girl had once visited him before.

However, Happiday and Olawale, however, said Thorpe was secretive about his children. They said during their conversations, he revealed little information about his children.

“I went there on Monday, October 29 to check up on him as usual and I discovered that he was lying down and could not stand up. He was mumbling and I quickly called pastor (Olawale) because I had a feeling he may soon die,” Happiday said.

But by the time they gathered money to get him help two days later, Thorpe had died.

His body was evacuated from the spot by the Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area authorities on Thursday after much pressure from Happiday and Olawale.

Our correspondent dialled the number of a man Thorpe referred to as his uncle.

Although the man identified himself as Bode Thorpe, he denied knowing the deceased.

“I have been getting strange calls like this. Go and find out who his relations are and stop pestering me with calls,” he said.




http://www.punchng.com/news/how-phd-holder-lived-died-in-refuse-dump/

When familal bonds,love and ties fail.
Who can tell when,how things went wrong? I pray his soul finds peace,the world couldn't offer him.

...Strange world... RIP

How sad? I know of a similar story. Some families are just damn callous

Is it just me or those anyone think his biography will make a great F;ing Movie RIP

Minion: How could such a thing have happened to this poor soul? My Lord
Hades: U have to understand young one, The bands that hold mortals together is but not well tethered. Soon the centre will not hold and they all fall apart
Minion: U speak words of wisdom, My King!

^^ tragic movie though.

hmmm RIP

Hmmm, Yoruba and JUJU..... they study and practice JUJUlogy as a major profession

This world is wicked. People can ONLY relate/identify with you when you have money. Wicked world full of evil.

Very sad, may his soul rest in peace.

May His Soul Rest in Peace,
At least am happy he was not mistaken to act like Clifford Orji.

Else, na jungle justice, FAGBA CHAPTER.

....BAN NIGERIA MOVIE.

The only way to stop Jungle justice and other barbaric act......

What a story...Where our Nollywood film writters dey...U go fear film.

Very pathetic...RIPP...But wait a minute, the man seemed mentally balanced, so there wasn't just one person in his family that could help, even his wife? Na wa o...Thanks to the good samaritans, you surely will be rewarded

mawojuuche: ...Strange world... RIP

Truly Strange.

r.i.p but who knows he might has stepped on some students toes peradventure if he was a lecturer or family attack or something, but truly sad for him and i believe he has some children probably enjoying somewhere in abroad. just wondering.

I wish somebody the family members helped dat man.I am sure he died a painfull death.any way I think it is a matter of africa remote from his enemies.

Hmm! What a wicked world! May his soul rest in perfect peace.

Where r d social worker n NGOs, where r d rich well meaning Nigerians, where is d media ? All this questions needs to be answered before more useful but helpless Nigerians die in the dumb, hospitals, in their homes and in the prisons. God save us and May pa thorpes soul RIP.

Look,that's why i always tell people that some friends are better and more trustworthy than family..

CHESSBOARD: Hmmm, Yoruba and JUJU..... they study and practice JUJUlogy as a major profession

I pity people like you who, like teens, talk for the fun of it. Well, by their comments, we shall know them

Why wasnt any effort made by the Happiday guy and the pastor to get him out of the dump site until shortly before his death? Not blaming them anyway but being ‘friends‘ with him and people he could relate to, they should have done more or is that they tried but Thorpe refused to be taken out? Check that the pastor had known him for four good years. Am sad.

Sad ... RIP dude

Callousness is skin deep in too many Nigerians regardless of the crocodile hue and cry over the ALUU 4
Isn't this the same country where people shun family and friends when they are in hospitals but are first on the queue for aso-ebi aka uniform once the person passes on?

Hmmmm Nkan Nbe...

Sooo sad...R.I.P

dis is JUJU!! Serzly, thr is dis guy we cal Prof. In ma sch havin d same prob as dis man... He is a genius. Though he is kinda in dis Bad mental state he can do any kinda Mathematical Calculation which som Lecturers can't......... May God Protect Us All.... Evil ppl r everywhr.

No doubt the good samaritans did their best but they didn't do well enough. How come they knew the man for more than 4yrs yet they couldn't do anything tangible to help him. The report made us understood that the man was physically balanced. Probably he had some psychological problems which made him abandoned and life-miserabled. If you ask me, I'll say those so-called good samaritans are to be blamed in one way or the other for not been able to provide any help to him despite the long period[b] they knew him.

[b]MORALS: People will always say you deserve better but Nobody is willing to give it to you.