The Ogun State Police Command confirmed on Monday that a man, Opeyemi Lateef, died after he consumed poison, while a 24-year-old lady, Gift Bello, jumped into a well in separate incidents suspected to be suicide at different locations in the state.
Lateef allegedly consumed the harmful substance suspected to be ‘Sniper’, on Wednesday in the Abeokuta Area of the State.
The deceased’s wife, Gift Monday, told the police that she found her husband in severe pain, rolling on the floor while he was pointing to a bottle on the floor.
PUNCH Metro gathered from a police source, who was privy to the incident but spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to do so, that Lateef was said to have been taken to Royal Grace Hospital at Soyoye Rounder, Abeokuta, for medical care.
Lateef was said to have been later transferred to the General Hospital in Ijaye, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, after it was discovered that there was no improvement in his health.
He was said to have given up the ghost at the aforementioned hospital and laid to rest at his family house in Abule Otun Lafenwa, Abeokuta, according to Islamic burial rites.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, said a discreet investigation and interrogation were ongoing, and that the deceased’s wife was in their custody in connection with the case.
She said, “On 24/4/2024, at about 08.00 hrs, one Funmilayo Lateef, ‘F’, of Abule Otun reported at the station that she received a phone call from one Gift Monday, ‘F’, her brother’s wife, that her brother now deceased, Opeyemi Lateef ‘M’, drank Sniper.
“He was rushed to Royal Grace Hospital at Soyoye Rounder, Abeokuta, for medical treatment. On getting to the hospital, she found her brother admitted, and he was not responding to treatment; his condition was critical.
“Hence, the doctor referred him to the General Hospital Ijaye at Abeokuta. She stated further that it was at the General Hospital in Ijaye, Abeokuta, that he was confirmed dead. His corpse was brought home according to Islamic rites to Abule Otun at Lafenwa, Abeokuta, their family house.”
Odutola noted that the investigation and interrogation had started, as three witnesses had made statements about the deceased, pointing to the Sniper bottle when asked what was wrong with him and when they saw him in pain.
In a similar incident, a woman, Bello, allegedly jumped into a well on Thursday at Arigbanwo along Mowe, in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun.
According to eyewitnesses, Bello drowned after he allegedly jumped into a well and was said to have been recovered from the well dead.
PUNCH Metro learnt that her death was being probed, as an autopsy would be carried out on her body at a mortuary in Sagamu, Ogun.
The spokesperson for the command, Odutola, also confirmed the incident, saying that it was a suspected suicide event and that a preliminary investigation had commenced to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Odutola said, “On April 25, 2024, at about 2055 hrs, one Olawale Sodunke, ‘M’, of Arigbanwo Area via Mowe reported at the station that at about 1900 hrs, he was called that someone jumped into his well beside his house at the aforementioned address.
“Upon the report, detectives were led to the scene, where one Gift Bello ‘F’, aged 24 years, behind Ashimolowo Shopping Complex via Mowe, was brought out from the well.
“The corpse was taken to Idera Mortuary Sagamu for an autopsy, and items recovered at the scene were black rubber slippers and a black head cap.”
PUNCH Metro had reported that a 49-year-old woman identified as Victoria Idowu reportedly hanged herself from a ceiling fan in the Magboro area of Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State on Sunday.
According to the police, the son of the deceased raised the alarm after returning from a church service and finding his mother reportedly hanged with a rope from the ceiling fan in her room.
Punch newspaper
