A member of staff of a sand dredging company, FC Energy, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, Alex Eboh, was on Monday drowned in the Ibeshe River while on duty.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the 25-year-old man slipped from one of the company’s sand dredging ships and fell into the river.
Efforts by the company’s divers to rescue the Benue State indigene did not, however, yield any result as he was said to have died before help could reach him.
It was learnt that Eboh was initially working offshore with some of his colleagues before he got an instruction to go onshore.
A source familiar with the incident told our correspondent on Thursday that it was while he was setting out to leave the sand dredging vessel that he slipped and fell into the river.
The source, who did not want his name in print for fear of victimisation, said, “On Monday, Eboh was aboard one of the company’s drilling ships on the Ibeshe River in Ikorodu. We heard that he was sent from the drilling ship back to shore and as he was trying to leave the vessel, he fell into the river and before help could reach him, he drowned.
“The unfortunate thing was that he was not wearing anything like a life jacket or any safety suit and that was why he sank immediately he fell inside the river.”
Another source said the situation could have been prevented if the firm’s management put in place proper safety measures.
When contacted on Thursday, the company’s spokesperson, Nathaniel Ogidi, confirmed the incident to PUNCH Metro.
Ogidi said immediately Eboh fell into the river, the company’s divers went after him but it was a little too late.
He said, “It was an unfortunate and sad event for all of us. Eboh, according to the report that I got, was trying to disembark from the vessel when he slipped and fell into the river. Immediately, our divers went after him but unfortunately, we lost him.
“I can assure you that as a company, we follow the best global practices. We have lifejackets for staff on ships. I learnt that he was only trying to disembark when this thing happened. Immediately after that, we reported the matter to the Ipakodo Police Station which is nearest to us here.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said, “The matter was not reported to us but we shall investigate.”
