Pandemonium erupted in Osogbo, the capital of Osun state today, 6th July, after a man known as Femi leapt into an Osun river shortly after he complained about the financial hardship he was facing.
Eyewitnesses recount that Femi stood on the Gbodofon bridge situated along Osogbo/Gbongan road around 10:30 am and jumped into the river.
A tyre repairer working nearby, who chose to remain anonymous for security purposes, informed Punch that he saw a man descend from the Old Governor’s Office end of Osogbo/Gbongan road and paused for a few minutes in the middle of Gbodofon bridge before plunging into the river.
“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.”
The spokesperson of the Osun State Fire Service, Ibrahim Adekunle, confirmed the incident, stating that agency operatives were summoned for an emergency rescue operation after the victim leaped into the river at approximately 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.
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Osun State Command, Kehinde Adeleke, further stated that the victim, identified as Femi, had previously tried to commit suicide.
However, he was prevented from doing so by individuals who noticed his behavior on the bridge.
“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.”Adeleke said
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