Man drowns while fleeing suspected cultists in Lagos

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.

A police source said Opeyemi was reportedly attacked after some men chased him in the area, forcing him to seek refuge in the river in an attempt to escape.

According to the police source, the incident occurred on Saturday, September 12.

The source said Opeyemi was on his way to purchase an item when some individuals allegedly began pursuing him.

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 evade them.

A resident said, “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.”

Opeyemi was subsequently reported to have drowned in the river.

However, an anti-cultism advocacy platform, Naija Confra, presented a different version 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.

The post read, “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 exact circumstances surrounding the incident remained unclear as of the time of filing this report, with the conflicting accounts yet to be independently verified.

When contacted on Sunday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said she would revert on the matter.

She had yet to respond as of the time this report was filed.