Man attempts jumping down from telecom mast in Lagos

A middle-aged man suspected to be mentally unstable on Tuesday morning tried jumping down from the top of a communication mast at the Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos State.

The man, identified as Daniel Chibuike Bassi, was said to have climbed to the top of the mast around 8.30am, but was rescued by a combined team of policemen, officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and those from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).

Eyewitnesses said that the suspect had been taken to Gowon Estate Police Station, where he is being interrogated.

The unfortunate incident attracted a huge crowd who converged around the foot of the mast to witness the unfolding event.

NEMA’s coordinator in the South-West Region, Ibrahim Farinloye, who confirmed the incident, said a preliminary investigation showed that the man climbed the mast possibly to commit suicide.

Farinloye said officials of both the National and State agencies convinced the man to come down from the about 200 feet mast.

He said during interrogation, the man identified himself as Daniel Chibuike Bassi, an aluminium technician and that he works in Aluminium Village and lives at Dopemu, Lagos.

“He was taken to Gowon Estate Police Station, Lagos.

“In an interactive discussion with NEMA, LASEMA and Police, Mr Bassi seems to be incoherent and could not make a complete statement all along.

“NEMA had to appeal to the Police to leave the distressed man to settle down and calm down because he could not remember his age until he consults some people.

“He told us that he arrived at the scene at about 8am and started climbing the mast at 8.30am.

“He revealed that he never knew the area before but something pushed him to go to the scene.

“He was said to have called people around the scene and informed the people that he wanted to do a fellowship and started with songs and praising,” he added. (Daily Trust)