Shortly after complaining about his struggles, a guy named Femi plunged into the Osun River on Saturday in Osogbo, Osun State.
Around 10:30 am, according to a source close to the incident, Femi leaped into the river from the Gbodofon bridge, which is situated along the Osogbo/Gbongan road.
Working near the scene, a vulcanizer who wished to remain anonymous for security concerns said he saw a man descend from the Osogbo/Gbongan road’s Old Governor’s Office end and stand in the center of the Gbodofon bridge for a short while before plunging into the river.
He said, “I was at a spot close to the bridge working on a customer’s tyre when I looked towards the Gbodofon bridge and I saw a man walking down from Old Governor’s Office end of the Osogbo/Gbongan.
“He stood right in the middle of the bridge and took a plunge into the Gbodofon river. People around were seized with fear after the incident.”
During an interview with The PUNCH, the spokesperson of Osun State Fire Service, Ibrahim Adekunle, said operatives of the agency were called for an emergency rescue operation when the victim jumped into the river around 10:30 am
“We responded, but the river is overflowing at the moment. We made efforts and we are still looking for the person, but we are yet to recover the body. From what we were told, the person involved is a man,” Adekunle said.
Also commenting, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Osun State Command, Kehinde Adeleke, identified the victim as Femi, adding that he had earlier made an attempt to commit suicide, but was chased away by some people who suspected his movement on the bridge.
Adeleke further said, “On July 6th, 2024, at exactly 10:30 am, a man identified as Femi, the only son of his parent and a native of Ilesha jumped into Gbodofon River.
“According to an eyewitness, before he jumped into the river, he kept saying that a group of people had beaten him mercilessly at a (fast food joint) in the OgoOluwa area, which led him to decide to end his life.
“During the investigation, we interviewed a man who witnessed the incident. He mentioned that Femi initially attempted to commit suicide, but was chased away. He later came back, saying he was tired of life. Shortly after, he went to the top of the Gbodofon Bridge and jumped into the river.
“As of Saturday evening, the body of the said man has not been recovered but the effort is ongoing.”
