A man identified simply as Opeyemi has drowned after allegedly jumping into a river while fleeing from suspected cultists in the Agility area of Mile 12, Lagos State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday, September 12, according to a police source who spoke on the matter.
The source said Opeyemi was on his way to purchase an item when some men allegedly began pursuing him in the area.
According to the source, the men eventually caught up with him and allegedly attacked him before he jumped into the river in an attempt to escape.
A resident said efforts by some people to rescue Opeyemi were reportedly frustrated by those chasing him.
“We got a report that he was being chased by some people suspected to be cultists who caught him and attacked him before he jumped into the river.
“Some people wanted to rescue him, but those chasing him prevented them from doing so,” the resident said.
Opeyemi was subsequently reported to have drowned in the river.
However, an anti-cultism advocacy platform, Naija Confra, gave a different account of the incident in a post on Sunday.
The platform said some residents claimed Opeyemi was under the influence of a substance and entered the river himself, while others who said they witnessed the incident alleged that he had been chased and attacked.
“While a few residents claimed that Opeyemi was high on a substance and jumped into the river, others said it was not true.
“Others who claimed to have witnessed the incident stated that Opeyemi was on his way to buy drugs when he was chased by some people who caught and attacked him before he jumped into the river. They claimed that even when people tried to save him, the attackers prevented them from saving him.
“Opeyemi was described as very nice, good, and hardworking,” the platform said.
The conflicting accounts have left the exact circumstances surrounding Opeyemi’s death unclear, as the allegations have yet to be independently verified.
When contacted on Sunday, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said she would revert on the matter.
She had yet to respond as of the time of filing this report.
