Ms Sofiat Amusa, widow of Odunare Olamilekan, the 25-year-old man who committed suicide by jumping into the lagoon in the Epe area of Lagos State, has said that her husband was driven to death by depression and frustration.
The deceased’s body was found on Thursday.
Although relevant agencies including the Lagos State Police Command, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and Lagos State Waterways Authority did not officially comment on the issue, the sad incident sparked mixed reactions on social media.
The deceased had an 11-month-old daughter before his demise.
A viral video seen by shows Olalekan sitting on the handrail of the Lagos Bridge before jumping into the lagoon.
The voice of someone filming him in the 30-second video is heard asking what was wrong with him, but he did not respond.
The Nation learnt that Olalekan was a holder of an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) certificate from the Department of Quantity Surveying at the Lagos State Polytechnic, and a worker at Alaro City, a mega estate along the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
Many social media users wondered why the person that was filming him did not make an attempt to rescue him rather make a video of him.
The deceased’s 21-year-old wife, in an interview obtained by The Nation, attributed her husband’s death to frustration and depression.
She said: “Abdulrahman Odunare Olamilekan was my husband. Suddenly, we heard about the incident and how it occurred.
“We lived together before his demise but he had been acting strangely for some days before his death.
“I complained about his strange behaviour to his parents but they ignored it until he died.
“Lack of parental care, depression and frustration of not being attended to by his parents contributed to my husband’s death.
“He was a drug addict. He does not take Colorado but he took Arizona. But before the incident occurred, he didn’t do drugs.
“We were shocked when we heard the news. But before it happened, he had been saying some depressing words for about three days before the incident occurred. If he was monitored closely, it would not have led to death.
“My husband’s body was found two days after he plunged into the lagoon and he has since been buried at the lagoon side
“There is no one standing by me now except my own family.
“No one from my deceased husband’s family has contacted me, and I have no friends who can support me.
“I’ll appreciate the support of Nigerians.
“Before his demise, he pleaded that I should take care of his child.”
She appealed to all Nigerians to come to her aid in form of food and cash to take care of their daughter.
