Man drowns after alleged cultists’ chase into Lagos river

A man identified simply as Opeyemi has drowned after he allegedly jumped into a river while being chased by suspected cultists in the Agility area of Mile 12, Lagos State.

A police source told PUNCH Metro on Sunday that the incident occurred on Saturday, September 12.

The source said Opeyemi was on his way to purchase an item when some persons allegedly began chasing 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 escape.

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 said to have drowned.

However, an anti-cultism advocacy platform, Naija Confra, gave a different account of the incident in a post seen by PUNCH Metro on Sunday.

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The platform said some residents claimed Opeyemi was under the influence of a substance and jumped into the river on his own, while others who purportedly witnessed the incident alleged that he was 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 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 for a reaction on Sunday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said she would revert.