A Cameroonian, Frederick Gino, was yesterday rescued from committing suicide on a high tension electric pole in Lagos.
The incident, which occurred on Adebisi Ogunniyi Crescent in Lekki Phase One, Lagos around 5:30am attracted motorists and passersby, who called the Fire Service through the emergency toll free numbers.
The man was sighted on the pole around 5:30am, and all the efforts to get him down failed.
The Cameroonian was said to have climbed the pole to avoid being lynched after he was allegedly caught in an attempted burglary.
He was said to have gone up the pole following disconnection of light by the Eko Distribution Company.
Gino was said to have attempted to harm himself when operatives of the fire service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) arrive to bring him down.
During the rescue process Gino was injured and thereafter had to be taken to Oba Yekini Eleguishi Health Centre in Lekki.
According to a witness, the Cameroonian said he did not know how he got to Nigeria.
He claimed that the victim climbed the pole after he was caught attempting to burgle a nearby mall.
“It is not a suicide attempt. The guy is a thief. He wanted to burgle a mall in the neighbourhood but he was caught and chased. He fled and climbed the electric pole for fear of being lynched.
“He didn’t get the close to the cable until Eko Distribution Company was contacted to isolate the area. Even at the hospital, he wanted to run but he was pinned down. He later started begging that he was hungry and needed food. That he has nowhere to go,” said the eyewitness.
LASEMA General Manager Michael Akindele said; “Security operatives will conduct proper investigation on the matter. People should be watchful, observe strange faces and other activities around them. Such incidents should also be reported to security agencies or a call placed to either 767 or 112.”
