Man jumps off Third Mainland Bridge after lover jilts him

Taiwo Jimoh

The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed that a 23-year-old man, Princewell David, jumped off the Third Mainland Bridge on Thursday morning.

According to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Bala Elkana disclosed that David attempted suicide because his girlfriend allegedly jilted him.

David, who survived, was said to have attempted to kill himself at about 12am.

Elkana said: “The victim jumped into the lagoon at about 12a.m. because his girlfriend said she was no longer interested in dating him. When the victim was trying to jump into the lagoon, he hit his leg on the rim of the bridge, thereby sustaining injury. We have contacted his parents and we are going to get more details from him when he regains his strength.”

David attempt to take his life occurred exactly 10 days after another 22-year-old man, Toju Davis, a graduate from the University of Lagos, Akoka, jumped into the same Third Mainland Lagoon and died. 

Davis was said to have alighted from an Uber car along the Third Mainland Bridge under the pretence that he wanted to urinate. Immediately he stepped out of the car, he jumped into the lagoon.

Yesterday, David, also pretending that he wanted to urinate, told the Uber car driver he hired from Igando to stop along the Third Mainland Bridge. He then jumped into the lagoon, but fortunately landed on floating log of woods. He, however, sustained injuries.

While speaking with policemen, the Uber car driver reported said: “I picked him from Igando. He insisted that I should pass through the Third Mainland Bridge. On getting to the bridge, he asked me whether this was Third Mainland Bridge and I responded yes. To my surprise, he told me that he was pressed and that I should wait for him to ease himself. I was curious. At this time, he was forcing to me stop, but I didn’t want to because of people I have heard that used to jump into the lagoon.”

The driver further said: “To avoid being accused of taking him to kill himself, I drove him to the point where Rapid Response Squad policemen (RRS) were standing, inward Lagos. I practically told him I was no longer interested in the trip before I approached the police officers leaving him inside the car."

An eyewitness at the scene said that as soon as the cab driver approached the policemen, informing them of what his passenger was telling him, David got down from the Volkswagen Jetta car and jumped into the lagoon, but landed on floating woods.

But before he jumped, one of the police officers, who saw him, approached the railings and tried to persuade him not to jump, but he still jumped. He was thereafter rescued and taken to Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) from where he was referred to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where he is undergoing treatment.

Meanwhile, the incident was later reported at Adekunle Police Station, Yaba for further investigation.