Residents, who spoke to our correspondent on the matter, said people close to the bridge around the river had tried their best to prevent Baba Ruka, who was visibly drunk, from jumping into the river, when he said he wanted to jump into it to swim.
“The man kept saying he wanted to swim in a bigger ocaean,” residents said.
Our correspondent gathered that he later left them behind and dived into the water.
Some men around the area, who could swim, later jumped into the river to rescue him when they did not see him after 10 minutes, but all efforts to locate him did not yield any results, it was gathered.
The search, it was learnt, lasted for more than one hour but there was no trace of the man.
A resident, who simply identified herself as Nike, said, “We didn’t know what came over the man. He decided to go and jump inside the water when people were running away from the river because of the heavy rain.
“I’m aware he was stopped earlier, but he remained adamant and went back to jump inside the water. Since yesterday, when he jumped into the water, he has not been found. The Hausa men beside the bridge had also entered the water, they couldn’t bring him out. The water must have taken him to Ogun River.”
An Okada rider, who identified himself as Moses Johnson, said, “They said the man was drunk when he jumped inside the water. I know him very well. He was always drunk with dry gin. Sometimes, I don’t wait for him when he stops me because he is always smelling of Ogogoro. He was stopped from going into the water but he refused and went back.
“I don’t want to say he did it deliberately. He could not be found after several hours of search by the people. Police later came, but nothing could be done, and there was nobody to blame.”
At the scene of the incident, some Hausa men dealing in waste recycling were noticed going about their daily business as usual.
One of them, Dongo, confirmed the incident, saying the man’s family, who later came to the scene, had been advised to trace his body to Ogun River.
The Ogun Stage Public Relation Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he could not confirm the matter as at press time.
