”My son is still alive” – Distraught Mum of Medical Doctor who Committed Suicide by Jumping into Lagos Lagoon

In a sad suicidal move, a medical doctor identified as Allwell Orji, jumped into the Lagos lagoon from Third Mainland bridge, on Sunday evening, the 19th of March 2017.

Following the sad incident, his aged mother, Chinyere Orji has refused to believe that her son is dead.

According to The Nation, a family member of the deceased who spoke to newsmen at the family’s home at Abujle-Ijesha in Yaba, Lagos state yesterday, said Mrs Orji, who is a retired banker, has refused to believe that her son who is the first of three children, is dead.

She is still hoping that he will be rescued.

”Please respect our grief. This is a difficult time for us and we don’t want to make comments on this issue. It is not something to be celebrated. We are believing that he’s still alive. God still does miracles.

You people don’t know what we have been through since yesterday. Please, respect our grief. This is not a case of a grandfather that died and we want to celebrate it. This whole issue has been difficult for us.

The mother is up there, not talking to anyone. Not even us who are very close relatives. People have been around her since yesterday so that she doesn’t do anything drastic.

She has yet to accept that he could be dead. She doesn’t even accept people’s sympathies and condolences. As a Christian, she’s believing God that a miracle could happen and that her son won’t die. She believes he’s just missing and would return alive

We can’t allow you in. We won’t also comment on it. Not today, not any day. We are not interested in talking about this issue. But I can tell you he’s not the person in the picture they have been circulating online. That’s not my doctor.

So many falsehoods have been circulated online in respect to this matter. We are not too pleased about it, but we won’t be pushed to comment,” he said.

The incident happened at 4:45pm when the 35-year-old doctor was on his way to Victoria Island where he was going to attend a Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) meeting. Orji, who left from his house was said to have received a call before taking his own life.

Shortly after the call, he allegedly instructed his driver, Henry Ita, to park the vehicle at the Adekunle end of the lagoon and he came out of the vehicle, walked to the railings on the bridge, saying he wanted to pee. He subsequently jumped into the lagoon.

Orji, who lived with his widowed mother, was said to be a staff of Mt. (Mount) Sinai Hospital at Olanibi Street, Papa Ajao, Mushin, Lagos.

A commercial bus passenger, who gave his name as Uche Magnus, said the doctor jumped into the ocean immediately after he came down from his vehicle.

”I saw everything clearly from where I sat in the commercial bus I was in. The man came down from his jeep and jumped into the water instantly. We all screamed and begged the commercial bus driver to stop. I saw the man when he jumped but nobody could identify the spot where he drowned in the ocean.”

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In the ensuing confusion, Ita was said to have called Oji’s mother and pastor. Both arrived the scene some 30 minutes after. It was learned that the sympathisers at the scene called the Lagos Police emergency unit, which deployed Rapid Response Squad (RRS) riders and marine police to the scene.

Meanwhile efforts to recover his body from the lagoon yesterday proved abortive as men of the Lagos State Emergency Mangement Authority are still searching the lagoon for his remains.

LASEMA’s General Manager, Adesina Tiamiyu who was at the scene yesterday told newsmen that he is not aware of any suicide note said to have been dropped by the deceased.

”We are still searching for the body. We have expanded the search to go further than the point it happened. We have told local men around to watch out for any floating body and we have engaged local divers to look around for us. Patrol boats are in the water going round. We would continue to search for him.

The family is traumatised at this point and unwilling to speak on the issue. I want us to respect their wishes please. We have established contact with the family and expressed government’s sincere wishes to them. We would also go back at a time they feel better because we would like to know what happen so that Lagosians and Nigerians can learn a lesson or two from it.

It’s an unfortunate situation. But what do we do? The driver is with the police. The police would be more involved in the investigation. If we are able to pick one or two things, we would pass it across. I am not aware of any suicide note. His phone and car are with the police.”

According to colleagues at the hospital where the deceased worked, he was a happy guy who did not show any signs of depression prior to the day he committed suicide.