Police ‘recover’ body of doctor who jumped into lagoon

The body of Allwell Orji, the medical doctor who jumped into the lagoon on Sunday afternoon, has been recovered, Channels Television is reporting.

The station quoted Fatai Owoseni, commissioner of police in Lagos, as saying the body was recovered by the Marine Police at the Onikan end of the lagoon.

Kehinde Adebayo, spokesman of the Lagos State Management Emergency Agency (LASEMA), told TheCable on Tuesday afternoon that officials of the agency were yet to confirm if the body recovered was that of Orji.

The police later said it was not sure if the corpse was that of Orji.

“We have sent for the family, they have to confirm the body before we issue a statement,” he told TheCable.

Rescue officials have been searching for Orji’s corpse since the day the incident happened.

As of 3pm on Monday, Adebayo told TheCable that efforts were still being made to retrieve Orji’s corpse.

“The body is yet to be recovered as the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and other stakeholders are still on ground,” he had said.

“The marine police and the local divers are still on the patrol of the area, while general manager of LASEMA has also advised fishermen and people doing business around the waterways to inform the agency in case any floating body is discovered on the water.”

Orji, who worked at a branch of Mount Sinai Hospital in Lagos, had reportedly told the driver of his vehicle to park at the Adekunle end of the third mainland bridge, before jumping into the lagoon.

The incident took many by surprise.

When TheCable visited Orji’s residence in the Abule Ijesha area of Yaba, Lagos, some neighbours said the deceased did not mingle freely.

“He was tall and fair, with a slim figure. He doesn’t interact, only greeted people when he was going out or coming back,” an elderly man had said.

“I don’t think he lived here, but he came here regularly. His mother had three children, two boys and one girl.

“Since his parents started living here, they have not had trouble with people on the street. Their father died about three or four years ago, and their mother also retired recently, but I don’t know where she worked.”