Today, the Lagos Rapid Response Squad saved Lanre, 17, from jumping into the Lagoon from the 3rd Mainland Bridge. Lanre, a sickler, is a secondary school leaver.
According to a RRS rider on regular patrol of the Bridge, a roving mechanic drew their attention to a lone teenager, standing on the bridge and looking into the Lagoon curiously.
On getting to the scene, he was standing on the crash barrier, ready to dive into Lagoon before he was held in the legs by the RRS officials and taken to RRS headquarters for counselling and further investigations. He later disclosed that he decided to jump into the Lagoon after losing N6, 000 and a mobile phone to Area Boys in Lagos Island.
He said: “I felt depressed after losing the N6, 000 and phone to the 5 boys who waylaid me on my way to the market. I couldn’t summon the courage to go back home to confront my mum that I lost the money she gave me to purchase food stuffs at Ita Faaji.”
Lanre’s mother said she had been looking for him for a couple of hours after sending him on errand. Her words: “I have searched everywhere. I was shocked to learn that he has attempted suicide. He has just finished his secondary school. He went to Lagos City College.
I don’t know why he wanted to commit suicide. He is a sickler but he has never been admitted in a hospital before. He is healthy. If I didn’t tell you, you won’t know. He is athletic and doing just fine. His father has travelled overseas and re-married. We are doing fine and okay with our lives. .
If he had returned home to tell me what happened, the worst I could have done was to slap him and threaten him to return my money for me. I know I have been an exceptional mother to the 4 of them. I have never allowed them to miss their father and they are doing quite well in their studies.”
