Man Drowns In Lagos While Swimming To Win A Bet

A 25-year-old man, Toheeb Jimoh, has
drowned in a Lagos river while reportedly
swimming to win a bet.
He had allegedly bragged that he could swim
the Lagos Lagoon from a particular point to
the shore on Saturday evening.
It was learnt that when some people
challenged his claim, he had allegedly dared
them to place a bet. After the bet was placed,
he reportedly went on a boat to the point and
jumped into the lagoon hoping to swim to the
shore.
Friends of the deceased, who had
accompanied him on a boat, were said to have
fled the scene after he did not make it out of
the water.
The incident, which occurred at Aiyedun
Street, Bariga, was said to have caused
commotion among residents who trooped to
the site, hoping to save Jimoh.
The corpse of Jimoh was said to have been
recovered around 7pm same day and buried
beside the water around 12am in line with the
traditions.
Our correspondent learnt that the late
Abeokuta, Ogun State indigene, had only
recently gained admission into the University
of Agriculture, Abeokuta before the tragedy
struck.
A source who spoke on the condition of
anonymity said, “He and some of his friends
were actually fond of betting and gambling. So
that evening, they decided to take the betting
to another level. Toheeb told them he could
swim from the Third Mainland Bridge end of
the river to the shore.
“When the boat they took got to that point,
which was a little close to the shore, he gave
his clothes to his brother and jumped into the
water.
“His friends who were in the boat waited for
him at the shore without success. After it
dawned on them that something was amiss,
his younger brother raised the alarm. By the
time people got to the scene, he had died.”
When PUNCH Metro visited the site where the
incident took place, he observed that the
scene was directly under the Third Mainland
Bridge.
Leaves, pure water sachets, and other dirt
were seen floating on the river shore. The
area was mainly occupied by shanties and
make-shift structures.
Residents of the area refused to comment for
fear of being implicated.
When our correspondent visited the Jimohs on
Ajenifuja Street, he was told they had traveled
to complete the burial rites. Their bungalow
was also quiet, while the street was deserted.
A resident on the street, Tiamiyu Abdullateef,
said the deceased was highly pious.
He said Jimoh had earlier gone on a boat to
“play a game with his friends”, and returned
without any incident.
Abdullateef, however, said the deceased
merely went to the lagoon to defecate after
he became pressed.
“Then, he decided to swim and wash his body.
His brother, Wale, waited at the shore. When
he was swimming back, he just lost breath,
and was exhausted. His brother saw him
drowning but did not suspect that anything
was wrong until it was too late.”
When our correspondent visited Bariga Police
Station, a senior official told him that the
police heard about the case informally.
The officer, who spoke on the condition of
anonymity because he was not permitted to
speak for the police, said, “It was not
reported here, and there is little we can do
although we heard of it,”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi
Braide, said she was in a conference and
promised to call back.