A fundraising appeal has been launched to bring a grieving mum and dad from Nigeria to Dumfries to visit their son’s grave.
Abdul Mutalie Abdulazeez, pictured below, died after being found injured while out running in Lockerbie in the early hours of February 1.
The 27-year-old was discovered in Townhead Street shortly before 6am.
Police were alerted and Abdul was taken by ambulance to Dumfries Infirmary but later died.
Abdul had moved to the area from his home country on a sponsorship visa to work for the NHS and had a placement at DGRI.
He was buried in the town, but his parents, sister and brothers were unable to make the journey to attend his funeral.
A friend has now launched a fundraising appeal in a bid to pay for them to visit Abdul’s grave.
Massa Sheriff said: “I am a close friend of Abdul and his family. He recently moved to Scotland from Nigeria. He got a sponsorship visa to work in an NHS hospital in Dumfries.
“Sadly on February 1, he went jogging and he was found collapsed on the street in Lockerbie and he died on the way to the hospital, at just 27 years of age.”
Mr Sheriff described Abdul as a “kind, caring and a gentle person, who was very hardworking, ambitious and very supportive of his family back in Nigeria”.
He added: “The family relied on him and he was excited to come to the UK and make a difference.
“His family were not been able to see his body. They are helpless and were unable to travel and be at his funeral.”
Now Mr Sheriff is pleading for help from people to donate anything they can to help pay to bring his family to Dumfries.
“They have been very distraught and very saddened by the sudden death of their son and brother”, he said.
To make a donation, visit www.gofundme.com/f/abduls-family-to-give-their-goodbyes
