A man identified as Azeez jumped into the Lagos lagoon and drowned while trying to evade arrest.
Truetells Nigeria reports that the incident occurred as he attempted to evade arrest for stealing several bags of cement.
The Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident, which has shocked the local community.
The report was first made to the Ikoyi Police Division by the director of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos Central, around 12:20 pm on Friday.
According to the director, the distress call about the incident at the Lekki/Ikoyi Link Bridge was received at about 10:45 am that day.
Upon arrival at the scene, emergency responders were greeted by a large crowd gathered by the waterside.
They were reportedly watching the lifeless body of Azeez, who was later confirmed dead by paramedics from Pre Hospital Care, Lagos.
SP Hundeyin explained that the victim was being pursued by one Elijah Amos, a cement seller when he made the fatal decision to jump into the lagoon.
“It was discovered that Elijah Amos, who sold the cement, was chasing the deceased because he was alleged to have stolen some bags of cement,” Hundeyin stated.
The police visited the scene, and Azeez’s body was subsequently evacuated to the Mainland General Hospital Mortuary in Yaba, where an autopsy will be conducted to further investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
The police further disclosed that it is continuing their investigations into the incident to uncover more details and to determine the sequence of events leading to Azeez’s desperate leap into the lagoon.