•Police lead rescue operation
In what appeared to be a suicide, a medical doctor, Allwell Oji, jumped into the Lagos lagoon yesterday. The incident happened at 4:45pm on Third Mainland Bridge when Oji, 35, was on his way to Victoria Island where he was going to attend a Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) meeting.
Oji, who left from his house at Abule Ijesha in Yaba, was said to have told his driver, Henry Ita, to parked his Nissan Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) marked LND476EE at the Adeniji Adele end of the bridge on the excuse that he wanted to pee. As he came down, the doctor was said to have climbed the bridge’s rail guide and jumped into the ocean.
Oji is said to be a staff of the Isolo branch of Mt. (Mount) Sinai Hospital.
A commercial bus passenger, who gave his name as Uche Magnus, said the doctor jumped into the ocean immediately after he came down from his vehicle.
Magnus said: “I saw everything clearly from where I sat in the commercial bus I was in. The man came down from his jeep and jumped into the water instantly. We all screamed and begged the commercial bus driver to stop. I saw the man when he jumped but nobody could identify the spot where he drowned in the ocean.”
In the ensuing confusion, Ita was said to have called Oji’s mother and pastor. Both arrived the scene some 30 minutes after. It was learnt that the sympathisers at scene called the Lagos Police emergency unit, which deployed Rapid Response Squad (RRS) riders and marine police to the scene.
When The Nation got to the scene at 5:30pm, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), RRS Area Alpha Commander and Officer-in-Charge of Marine Police Team were coordinating rescue operation. The response team of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) was also at the scene.
At 5:50pm, Oji’s SUV and his driver were moved to the Adeniji Central Police Station.
When asked to explain how the incident happened, Ita, who was yet to come to terms with the incident, said could not utter a word as he was being led into the DPO’s office. He folded his arms and looked at the floor.
Oji’s mother was restless, as she was being consoled by the pastor. The pastor came out of the DPO’s office to pray beside Oji’s SUV. As he said the prayers, he moved round the vehicle with the hope that the rescue opera
The Nation was not allowed to speak to the driver. At the time of this report, operatives of RRS and Marine Police Unit were still searching for the victim.
General Manager Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Adesina Tiamiyu, confirmed the incident.
He said: “The Agency received a distress call about a man who parked his grey coloured Nissan Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) with registration number LND 476 EE at about 4.50pm today Sunday, (yesterday) around Adekunle, inward Third Mainland Bridge and jumped into the Lagos Lagoon.
“Preliminary investigation at the scene revealed that the man, said to be medical doctor named Orji, was driven by his driver. He suddenly ordered the driver to pull over, got out of the car and suddenly jumped into the water from the bridge.
“The vehicle and the driver have been taken to Adeniji Adele Police Station for further investigation, while effort is on going to recover his body from the Lagoon.