The Lagos State Police Command said a 65-year-old visually impaired man, Ewenla Adetomiwa, was rescued after attempting to commit suicide by jumping into the lagoon along the Third Mainland Bridge.
PUNCH Online learnt that the incident took place around 2:30 p.m. on September 4, 2024.
The spokesperson for the state Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to PUNCH Online on Sunday.
According to reports, the victim had brought his two children to the Third Mainland Bridge, planning to end his life, believing that the government would care for them after his death.
However, passersby, realising the man’s intentions, intervened and stopped him before he could jump into the lagoon.
Hundeyin stated, “There was a distress call that a man with his two children attempted to commit suicide by trying to jump into the lagoon on the third mainland bridge in the state.
“He was prevented by a good Samaritan who alerted the police through the control room. Upon the receipt of the information, a team of policemen was sent to the scene where the victim, who lived in Ikorodu, and his two children were seen on the bridge.
“The victim and his 16-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy were taken to the station. During interrogation, the man admitted that he intended to commit suicide to enable the government to take charge of his children’s wellbeing if he had succeeded.”
Similarly, the command’s spokesperson added that on August 30, 2024, an 18-year-old boy named Elijah, believed to be mentally unstable, was also rescued from attempting to jump into the same lagoon.
The police promptly contacted the victim’s family and later handed him over to their care.
PUNCH Online reports that in June 2024, the Rapid Response Squad of the state command also rescued an American citizen from attempting to commit suicide on the Third Mainland Bridge.
