A 52-year-old man, identified as Alaba Ayeni, has allegedly died by suicide after jumping into a domestic well in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at a location beside Lamp Bearers Islamic School, off Asa-Dam Road, in the state capital.
The Kwara State Fire Service confirmed the incident, saying it received a distress call concerning the situation and immediately deployed firefighters to the scene.
According to the service, firefighters arrived at about 8:42am and commenced a recovery operation after discovering that the man was inside the well.
The deceased was reportedly a resident of the community, with a source saying some children discovered his body and alerted elders in the area.
A resident, Ambali Raheem, said the children noticed that Ayeni was inside the domestic well and immediately raised the alarm.
He added that the well was located close to the deceased’s residence.
Following the recovery operation, the Fire Service said Ayeni’s body was handed over to the Divisional Police Officer of Budo-Nuhu Police Station, Bolaji, for further investigation and necessary action.
The Chief Fire Officer, Alabi Muhammed, expressed concern over the incident and urged residents to properly secure domestic wells and other open water sources around residential areas.
He also advised parents, guardians and community leaders to ensure that children do not move around unattended near wells, drainage channels and other potentially dangerous areas.
