Man Jumps into Osun River After Complaining of Hardship

A man jumped into the Gbodofon River from the Governor’s Office end of Osogbo/Gbongan road on Saturday morning.

A witness said, “I was working on a customer’s tire near the bridge when I saw a man walking from the Old Governor’s Office end. He stood in the middle of the bridge for a few minutes before plunging into the river. People around were seized with fear after the incident.”

Ibrahim Adekunle, spokesperson for the Osun State Fire Service, told NIGERIA NEWS 247 that the agency was called for an emergency rescue operation around 10:30 am when the man jumped into the river.

“We responded, but the river is overflowing at the moment. We made efforts and are still looking for the person, but we have yet to recover the body. From what we were told, the person involved is a man,” Adekunle said.

Kehinde Adeleke, Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Osun State Command, identified the victim as Femi, adding that he had earlier attempted suicide but was chased away by some people who suspected his behavior on the bridge.

Adeleke said, “On July 6th, 2024, at exactly 10:30 am, a man identified as Femi, the only son of his parents and a native of Ilesha, jumped into the Gbodofon River. According to an eyewitness, before he jumped, he said a group of people had beaten him mercilessly at a fast food joint in the OgoOluwa area, leading 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 had not been recovered, but efforts are ongoing.