Police, Fishermen Save Women from Lagoon Suicide

Two tragedies were yesterday averted at the Lagos Lagoon as a 58-year-old textile dealer, Mrs. Taiwo Momoh attempted jumping into lagoon while another woman, Mrs. Abigail Ogunyinka who suicidally made it into the waters was rescued by fishermen.

Momoh who wanted to make the jump on Third Mainland Bridge was stopped by security operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS). While Momoh was stopped from taking the plunge, Oguyinka actually jumped into the Ebute Ero end of the lagoon but was rescued.

The two incidents occurred less than 48 hours after the remains of a medical doctor, Dr. Allwell Orji, who last Sunday jumped into the lagoon from Third Mainland Bridge, was found by the Marine Police.

While Ogunyinka resolved to commit suicide due to her inability to service credit facility she obtained from a microfinance bank, Momoh decided to take her own her life due to her indebtedness to three Swiss textile dealers.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni spoke on the incidents yesterday at the state secretariat, Alausa after Ogunyinka and Momoh were respectively rescued at Ebute Ero and Oworonshoki.

In Momoh’s case, Owoseni said the woman was about “to jump into the water when a police patrol team sighted her on the Third Mainland Bridge and grabbed her before she jumped into the Lagoon.

“She attempted jumping into the lagoon around Oworonshoki inward Mainland on Third Mainland Bridge. Fortunately, for her, she was rescued. The woman was in a taxi. She alighted on the bridge and wanted to jump into the lagoon but RRS 226 rescued her,” Owoseni said.

Owoseni disclosed that the woman was prevented at about 11:25 a.m. from committing suicide, which he said, might be due to depression arising from credit facilities she could no longer service.