Attempted suicide: Poverty pushed me to jump into Osun River – Woman

Clement Adeyi, Osogbo

A woman who defied the coronavirus stay-at-home order imposed on the residents by the Osun State Government as part of the measures to curb the spread of the deadly pandemic was on Wednesday rescued by some residents after she had jumped into the Osun River at Ogo-Oluwa area of Osogbo, the state capital.

The woman identified as Kafayat Alake, who jumped into the river from the bridge could have drowned but was lucky as some concerned residents who had seen her walking on the bridge promptly rescued her.

We gathered that the woman was dressed in a blue gown and trekking on the bridge. When she got to the middle of the bridge, she jumped into the river.

David Johnson, who rescued her said: “The thing happened so fast that we could not stop her. However, when she jumped, people called for help, prompting me to dive in, and I was able to rescue her.

“We were somewhere around that place when the woman’s body dropped from the bridge. At first, we thought she was either pushed or fell over by mistake. While others were calling for help, I had to jump into the river and rescue her,” he added.

When some sympathisers got to the scene, the woman was sitting down by the riverbank, looking dejected.

While explaining the situation, she disclosed that she hails from Alapaaro, Isale Osun, Osogbo. She said she had three children and could not cater for them due to some financial predicament.

“I have three children but I couldn’t cater for them due to my financial predicament. My husband stays in Lagos. We separated about 13 years ago,” she said.

Later, she was rushed to a nearby hospital in an O’ambulance for a medical check-up.