Police Intervene in Two Suicide Attempts on Third Mainland Bridge
The Lagos State Police have successfully intervened in two separate suicide attempts on the Third Mainland Bridge.
On September 4, 2024, a 65-year-old man named Ewenla Adetomiwa, who is visually impaired, was saved from jumping into the lagoon around 2:30 p.m.
Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the incidents in a report to Punch on September 9.
Reports indicate that Adetomiwa had brought his two children to the bridge with the intent to take his own life, mistakenly believing the government would take care of them afterward.
Fortunately, bystanders noticed his intentions and intervened before he could jump.
“A distress call was made about a man with his two children attempting to jump into the lagoon from the bridge,” Hundeyin explained. “A Good Samaritan notified the police, who quickly dispatched a team to the site. The man and his children were found on the bridge.”
“During questioning, the man confessed he wanted to end his life so that the government would take responsibility for his children’s future,” he added.
In a similar occurrence, the police rescued an 18-year-old boy named Elijah, who was believed to be mentally ill, from a suicide attempt on August 30, 2024.
The authorities reached out to Elijah’s family and transferred him to their care.