On Thursday, tragedy struck when an unnamed middle-aged woman reportedly fell into Lagos Lagoon from the Third Mainland Bridge in what appeared to be a suicide attempt.
The incident, according to sources, happened at 10 am.
Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, the permanent secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Agency (LASEMA), who confirmed the event, claimed rescue workers were still looking for the body as of the time this article was filed.
A woman in her late 30s fell into the Lagos Lagoon, according to Oke-Osayintolu: “Upon arrival of the LRT at the scene, an investigation revealed.
“Further inquiry showed that the woman got out of a cab on the bridge before she abruptly fell into the lagoon.
The cab driver allegedly admitted to having an argument with her fiance earlier over the phone before getting out and plunging into the lagoon.
The victim is still being sought after by members of the LRT, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos State Waterways Authority, and DSS personnel.
However, Oke-Osanyintolu bemoaned the recent suicide epidemic, particularly on the Third Mainland Bridge.
“Someone considers and ultimately commits suicide every 40 seconds,” he said.
The fact that there were numerous suicide instances on the 11.8 kilometer-long bridge over the lagoon in the previous four months is illuminating.
Thousands of citizens commute daily to Lagos Island, Victoria Island, Lekki, Ajah, and Epe through the bridge, which has been in operation since it was opened in 1990.
Remember how, at some point in October, a man who has not yet been named was shown in a popular video plunging into the Lagoon after he was allegedly accused of stealing?
Ngozi Blessing, a Facebook user, posted videos of the man speaking to several bystanders and the time he dove into the Lagoon.
In the article, Blessing claimed that the man committed himself because he was falsely accused of stealing a sizable sum of money, which he denied knowing about.
“He was saying that they framed him; that he took a significant amount of money which he did not,” Blessing said in a text that was sent with the video.
“And they claimed that despite their giving him 24 hours to return the money, he did not steal.
“It’s difficult for him to eat just once a day, so tell me where he’s going to obtain that much money in a day.
He jumped from the bridge because he was fed up with life.
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