Suspension necessary, dictated by extraneous factors – Dr. Oke–Osanyintolu
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and its collaborators have suspended the search for body of a man who committed suicide by jumping into the Lagoon for the next 48 hours.
In a statement, LASEMA said “The man who alighted from the ash colour Toyota Corolla with registration number KSF 426 GB, call cab on the Third Mainland bridge, did so under the guise of trying to relieve himself, but instead committed suicide by jumping into the Lagoon, on Saturday.
“The suspension of LASEMA activities and those of it’s First Responders was coming on the heels of concerted efforts by two separate teams of the agency, its collaborators, the newly-added Marine Unit and local divers, all in a bid to rescue the adult male that jumped from the Third Mainland bridge into the lagoon, alive.
“In order to achieve its aim in alliance with the state governor that “every life is important”, LASEMA activated the Lagos State Emergency Response Plans alongside its First Responders in the deployment of it’s teams and equipment to the incident site on Third Mainland bridge, inward Lagos Island.
READ ALSO: http://Okada restriction: Sanwo-Olu’s action in the interest of Lagos
“However, hopes of rescuing the suicidal man that jumped from the Third Mainland bridge alive, dimmed with the now suspended over six hours search for the suicidal man, which the agency and other Emergency Responders at the incident scene, has resolved to suspend and continue in two days time.
“Reasons attributed for the suspension of the search were said to include the very strong and fast undercurrents of the Lagoon’s water, which according to divers, has not assisted in the rescue efforts. Another reason was said to be exhaustion due to the long, strainous and tiring search for the victim.
“Situation report has it that an adult male born 22nd July, 1998 which onsite investigations revealed as Daibo Toju Davies this morning jumped into the lagoon on the third Mainland bridge, inward Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos Island.
“The adult male according to records of a sworn affidavit, Daibo Toju Davies about 22 years of age, resident at 17, Sosanya Street, Gbagada Soluyi, Lagos, activated a call cab which meter was still ticking as at time of incident, from Mercy Hospital, Gbagada, alighted from the cab, jumped and plunged into the Lagos lagoon from the Third Mainland bridge.
” Further investigations revealed that the suicidal Daibo had informed driver of the call cab to stop under the guise of wanting to relieve himself. The unsuspecting driver who pointed out the victim’s imprint where he held the guides, reportedly stopped at the man’s request, watched him alight, then suddenly jumped off the bridge.
“With suspension of the search by LASEMA and all it’s collaborators, Idowu Badmos, driver of the call cab, and his ash Toyota Corolla call cab with registration number KSF 426 GB, has been taken to Adekunle Police Station, Yaba, Lagos.”
Speaking on the incident and suspension of further search and rescue activities, the DG/CEO of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in analysing the situation, stated that suspension of the operation was dictated by the extraneous factors such as the strong undercurrent which divers had to swim against in the search for the suicidal man with hopes of rescuing him alive like that of January.
Going further, Oke-Osanyintolu explained that though the Seafarers Team of the Marine Rescue Unit attached to the Agency’s Central Zone which was launched earlier this year, had been activated alongside other First Responders, expediency and the need for swift retrieval of the victim alive necessitated the inclusion of local divers in the rescue turned recovery operation.
READ ALSO: http://Lagos-Badagry Expressway: Senate to resolve lack of fuel supply stalling construction
“Local divers have ancestral knowledge of these waters from knowledge gathered and passed from generations past combined with the experience of growing up around these waters, plus the fact that they excellent divers”. Still on speed and quick retrieval of the victim alive, the LASEMA boss said that after analysing the time it will take the the Agency’s Marine Unit to get to nearest jetty to incident site to launch their equipment which Mr. Governor of Lagos State has so kindly provided, it became necessary to quickly integrate and activate the local divers as a matter of expediency.
He noted that inclusion of the local divers in the operation proved to be a wise decision considering the time factor and how it set the Seafarers Team free to tackle the incident from the far side of the incident site, while the rest of the Marine Team joined other responders on the Third Mainland bridge.
The DG/CEO LASEMA reiterated that despite all circumstances, the Agency would continue to do all within it’s means and deploy it’s resources appropriately to save the lives and properties of all lagosians in accordance with mandate of the Governor Olusola Sanwo-Olu led administration.
He thereafter implored all lagosians to join hands with the Agency in the prevention and management of disasters saying that efforts of the Agency’s inclusion of people at the grassroots in order to build resilience at the local level by inclusion through the Local Emergency Management Committee, LEMC has started paying off.
Citing the easy and quick integration of the local divers into the rescue operations with their complimentary efforts as a typical example of “working better together” because “Emergency Management is Everyone’s Business.”
The LASEMA Response Teams, it’s Seafarers Rescue Team of the Marine Unit, RRS, with support of the Lagos State Fire Services, were responders in the now suspended operation.
