Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
A man identified as Opeyemi has drowned in a river in the Agility area of Mile 12, Lagos State, after he was allegedly chased and attacked by suspected cultists.
The incident occurred on Saturday, September 12, according to a police source who spoke on Sunday.
A resident said Opeyemi was on his way to purchase an item when some people began pursuing him. The resident said the men eventually caught up with him and attacked him before he jumped into the river in an attempt to escape.
The resident said efforts by some people to rescue Opeyemi were allegedly blocked by those pursuing him.
“We got a report that he was being chased by some people suspected to be cultists who caught him and attacked him before he jumped into the river.
“Some people wanted to rescue him, but those chasing him prevented them from doing so.”
Opeyemi subsequently drowned in the river.
However, conflicting accounts have emerged over what led to his death. An anti-cultism advocacy platform, Naija Confra, said some residents claimed Opeyemi was under the influence of a substance and jumped into the river by himself.
The platform, however, said other residents who claimed to have witnessed the incident maintained that Opeyemi was chased and attacked before he entered the river.
Its post read, “While a few residents claimed that Opeyemi was high on a substance and jumped into the river, others said it was not true.
“Others who claimed to have witnessed the incident stated that Opeyemi was on his way to buy drugs when he was chased by some people who caught and attacked him, before he jumped into the river. They claimed that even when people tried to save him, the attackers prevented them from saving him.
“Opeyemi was described as very nice, good, and hardworking.”
The conflicting accounts surrounding the Lagos river drowning have not been independently verified, leaving the circumstances leading to Opeyemi’s death unclear.
When contacted for comment, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said she would revert. She had yet to provide a response as of the time of filing this report.
