Medical doctor who jumped into lagoon from 3rd mainland bridge, attempted suicide four years ago

It has been revealed that Medical doctor, Dr Allwell Orji who committed suicide on Sunday, 19th March, 2017 by jumping into the lagoon from 3rd mainland bridge had attempted suicide a number of times.

According to Sun News, Dr  Orji had tried jumping down from the family's two-storey building four years but was saved after their neighbours intervened.

"Four years ago he attempted to kill himself and, thereafter, had tried doing so on a number of times,since then, his family had been monitoring him. We don’t know the kind of sickness he was suffering from, but we knew he was being monitored. That was why he was assigned a driver to take him around" a man who pleaded anonymity said.

The doctor and his family have been living on the street, Odunukan Street, Ebute-Ejigbo, off Morroco Road, near University of Lagos for years and lost his dad four years ago. 

“He was such a gentle boy, who never made any trouble.  His family has lived on this street for long; his father died four years ago. Perhaps the driver who drove him didn’t know about his condition because he was engaged about three months ago.”

Another neighbour said some concerned people had gone to the police pleading for the driver’s release as he was innocent and had no part in his former employer’s death.

Daily Sun also spoke to some medical doctors at Mount Sinai hospital where the doctor worked before he took his life. The Chief medical director, Dr. Adedoyin Adeniran said they can't conclude he is dead until his body is found. “We don’t want to conclude that he is gone, more so when his body has not been found. It is only his family that can speak on that,” he said.

A non medical staff who wanted to remain anonymous spoke highly of the doctor describing him as the patient's' favourite

"Dr. Orji was such a dedicated person. He was the firstborn of his family. He was a thoroughbred doctor who paid profound attention to the very minute things in Medicine. He was such a quiet person and at the same time very active. He was most preferred by our patients. In fact, when some patients came here and he had not arrived, they would wait for him. He was sure to get to the root of things by asking penetrating questions. That was his trademark and why he was so much loved. Last Friday, he was here and we all played with him. We jocularly asked him to go and eat but he said he was going to see his patients in the ward. But we literally forced him to do so,” she said.

 Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, The General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management (LASEMA),  who was at the scene of the suicide incident, said they were still searching the waterways.

 “We have expanded our search to go further than where it happened. We engaged local fishermen and divers. Also assisting are the Lagos Ferry Services and the Lagos Waterways Agency patrol boats, which were deployed to the waterways. We have informed the residents to look out for floating bodies, and we have also contacted the family and they are still in shock,” he said.

 A LASEMA official also at the scene of the incident stated the distance at which he jumped into the lagoon will make him unconscious immediately he hit his head in the water because the water would feel like stone when it make contact with his head. She also stated that they were no longer looking at the incident as a rescue mission but a recovery mission.

Source: Daily Sun