Stella Dimoko Korkus.com: Uber Driver Narrates How His Passenger Jumped Into The Lagos Lagoon...

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Sunday, March 08, 2020

Uber Driver Narrates How His Passenger Jumped Into The Lagos Lagoon...

This is a must read!!!!








 On Wednesday, February 26 2020 at 11pm Joseph Olawale, a driver with the popular cab hailing operator, Uber, felt that he needed more cash since he had only one customer to show for his operation since morning.


He received a request from a passenger on his app and promptly responded to the request. He heaved a sigh of relief that he would close for the day after dropping off the passenger at his destination. He had no inkling that the passenger, a dashing young man, had just been jilted and was considering suicide.

“I got a request from a passenger through my Uber application; that was between 11pm and midnight at Igando bus stop along LASU-Ojo road. I drove straight to the location of that request. I waited for the passenger to arrive. After about five minutes and the person did not show up, I sent a message on the app to him and after about two minutes, the person came to me.

“Traditionally, when I take a passenger late in the night, I normally tell them to sit beside me in the front for security reasons. So, I told him to sit in front so that we could begin the trip but he refused. From that point, I became uncomfortable.”

The trip was to Lekki, precisely Castle Rock Avenue, Lekki. Olawale explained that he tried heartily to chat with the young man during which he found out that he was heart-broken.

“He told me his reason for deciding to sit at the back was because he was heart-broken and devastated and that he wanted to be alone. I asked him why he was unhappy. He replied that the lady he wanted to marry just told him that night that she was no longer interested in the relationship.

“I asked him the reason she gave for breaking up with him and how long the relationship had lasted. He said the relationship was just about a month old, even though he had known the lady for almost a year. He said he had told the lady that he wanted to marry her. I asked him if the relationship was just about a month old, why was he so heart-broken about the failed relationship. He said I won’t understand and that he actually loved the girl, that she was the first girl that he had ever loved.

“I asked him whether there was actually anything that he was not doing right, which the lady used to complain about. He told me that the lady asked him to get her an apartment so they could stay together. He said he told the lady that the money he had at that moment would not be enough to rent and also furnish an apartment for her. He said he told her to be patient with him, that with time he would do that for her. He also explained to me that he wanted the lady to have something better than she was requesting from him.

“I told him in that case, if the lady was truly his, she would listen to him and would understand. I told him to relax and that he should give the lady a chance, maybe the lady was just testing him to know how he would respond to things like this.

“So, we kept talking and intermittently, he would continue to lament, saying: ‘I don’t know, I have tried a lot.’ Along the line, he also told me that he held a birthday party for the girl on February 17 and that he bought her a Michael Korr wristwatch.

“I kept encouraging him that he should not think it was over between him and the lady, that he should just be patient. We passed through Igando, Idimu, Egbeda, Oshodi and headed towards the Third Mainland Bridge.”

The unnamed young man was a little in a hurry to get to the Third Mainland Bridge and kept on asking Olawale if they had reached there. His enquiries on the location of the ever busy bridge gave Olawale ideas that his passenger was up to something sinister.

“As we climbed the Gbagada overheard bridge, descending towards the Third Mainland Bridge, he asked me whether we were on Third Mainland Bridge. I said yes, we were on the bridge. He said no, it was not, that he could still see houses all around. That was when we were at the beginning of the Third Mainland Bridge. I told him we were at the Oworosonki side of the bridge. He said that he could not see the Lagoon; I told him that he would see the Lagoon as we drove along the bridge.

“Initially when he asked me whether we were on the Third Mainland Bridge, I didn’t suspect anything. But as we drove on the bridge, he told me that he was pressed and that he wanted to urinate. That was when I sensed that he wanted to do something unholy and I just told him politely that I would stop for him at a safe point.

“Few seconds later, he called me again that he was pressed and that he wanted to pee. At that point, I moved to the middle lane of the bridge and increased the speed. I was targeting the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) police post on the bridge. I became suspicious of his motive because few days earlier, I had read online about a similar incident. So, I decided I won’t stop at an unsafe place.



“Luckily for me, I got to the point where those policemen were on the bridge. I parked right in front of the police van. There were three policemen there. The policemen told me to move a little bit forward. I told him to come down and urinate himself. He said he was no longer interested in peeing, asking me why I should stop where I did. I told him it was for safety but he said he was no longer interested in urinating and that we should continue with the trip. I told him in that case, I wanted to urinate and that he should wait for me in the vehicle. The car’s engine was still running. I came down from the car and walked towards the policemen, who were less than 10 meters away from where I parked. I had no intention of urinating but I was uncomfortable with the whole situation and wanted to report to the police, that they should come and assist me, that I didn’t want to continue with the trip because of the man’s attitude.



“I was nearing the policemen when they started shouting ‘no, no, no! don’t do it.’ Turning around, the young man had opened the car’s door and he was about to climb across the protective rail on the bridge to jump into the Lagoon. A police officer and I went towards him to try and hold him back, but he had jumped into the Lagoon before we could prevent him.



“However, from the point he jumped into the water, he couldn’t sink into the water because there were logs of wood on the Lagoon. He was lucky that he fell on the wood. We saw him and knew he didn’t sink inside the water. But I was afraid he might slide through the space in between the logs into the water. I was just screaming and shouting. Immediately I called Uber emergency and the police officers immediately radioed their personnel and I fruitlessly called 112 at the same time. I also sent a message at that moment to Nigerian Info 99.3. I also called our association, Professional e-Hailing Drivers and Partners Association (PHDPA). I called the leader of the association, Comrade Idris.



“I was still worried that the man would not slip from the log and fall inside the water. Along the line, a man came out to help us. He started pointing to everywhere calling the local fishermen around the area. One of them now came to the bridge. He led us with RRS personnel, and others around. When we got under the bridge, the man tried to enter the water. He had hand pouch and other water gadgets. Luckily, he sighted a canoe on water and called the occupants. Initially, they said they were not coming but he begged them and I promised paying them. There were two people inside the canoe. The guy helping us joined the two in the canoe. They went there and rescued the passenger. He was groaning in pain as they rescued him. He obviously sustained very serious injuries. “



Sadly, despite all his efforts to save the situation by stopping at the police post on the bridge, the Police at the Adekunle Police Station have impounded Olawale’s car, which he uses to earn a living. So far, all efforts to retrieve the vehicle since the incident happened have proved futile. Olawale is cursing his luck and wondering whether it was a crime to try and save a passenger’s life as he could have allowed him to kill himself and speed off.



However, reacting to the suicide attempt, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Bala Elkanah commended the Uber driver for the steps he took to foil the suicide attempt. He advised Uber drivers and taxi drivers to avoid stopping on Third Mainland Bridge: “No, stopping on Third Mainland Bridge. In the light of these suicides and attempted suicide, Uber and other commercial drivers should avoid stopping for their passengers on the Third Mainland Bridge.”

30 comments:

  1. Why r they holding his car ? This country God punish all our leaders except osinbajo! God punish them punish their children and punish them x2 ! Oh God pls twist deir mouth at least so dey can learn a small lesson . Wicked pple

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahahahaha. @Unusual Army, shey He should twist their mouth abi. What of their hands and legs ? Hahaha

      Delete
  2. This country sef. Why seize his cab, why?

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  3. It seems some people are not raised to withstand the pressures of life. Just heartbreak and he wants to end it all.

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    Replies
    1. my brother,,are u raised ti face challenges?

      see,,its onky when u are in someones shoe then u can have a say,,i pray u wont face what is above ur psychological level

      Delete
  4. Hmmmm. Women pls watch the type of men you get into rltshps with. God forbid a person takes his life over u,the guilt will continue to haunt you.
    If you don't love someone do not deceive them to get material stuff,some ppl are already prone to depression.
    A relationship is not a poverty alleviation programme. If you want an apartment and the nice things of life be willing to work and pay your own way,anything u get from a rltshp is just a bonus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. like say dey go hear abi,,u are just wasting ur data typing all these,,awon ti won ti lo

      Delete
    2. The reason I can't mix dating/relationship with pleasure, beside the little gifts I might be moved to give. I don't stay in an unhealthy relationship that is sole based on materialism. Once I sight it, I walk away - especially some of the ladies on the single and mingle posts. They are not looking for relationships but an ATM. And they are many here o, on our single and mingle post. But then, there are those older ones who actually want a meaningful relationship. Met on of them and getting married soon. But before then, a whole bunch of ladies who just want a hangout buddy - why not say that's what they want instead of faking relationship.
      Don't ever let your relationship pressure you into doing what ordinarily you won't indulge. If they can't offer anything but sex (or request for sex), then they don't deserve your time.

      Delete
  5. Why seizing this innocent driver car naw after his struggle to save this guy. Chai.But some guys ehn,so bcos of 1month relationship u want to waste ur life.It is so obvious that she doesn't love you, she just want your money, that's all.Someone u lavished your money on her birthday just last month also wants you to rent a house for her.Do u cultivate money???this is where you should have known that she does not have you at heart.Wicked girl,God will punish her.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The only thing that is paining me in this narrative is the Good Samaritan's vehicle that they impounded. For what na!? This indomie generation people are so weak that they pout, sulk, cry, wail, kill ans die for and because of any flimsy reason. One month relationship and you want to die because slay-mama who thought she had found a maga said "No" when you didn't turn to her personal ATM? I do not believe his reason for wanting to commit suicide though. If dem ask the babe now,tori go different. I hope she didn't tell him he's a 40sec man or that his somtin is too small sha. Na dat one dey pain men to the point of suicide but even bros Hilly refused to die for hanty Radical and her plenty badmouth. Man up! Woman Up! Suicide is not the answer to life's ups and downs.

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  7. Oh my God! But why are they still holding his car? The man did a good job,he help3e saved a life for good ess sake. Why take his source of livelihood from him?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Women, never date men who are very emotional. They will either kill u or themselves...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The ones without emotions ( cold) are no better

      Run from manipulators
      Liars
      Cheats
      Those without conscience ( if they can be wicked to others na you dey special)

      Delete
  9. Why seize his car? Do dey even have sense at all?

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  10. Oh dear! Thank God he is not dead. May God cone through for the Uber driver and make them release his car

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  11. They should release his car to him, is it a crime to do good in Nigeria? πŸ˜•πŸ˜•πŸ˜•

    ReplyDelete
  12. The uber driver did well to save the guy, the police should release his car for him to continue hustle.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Very thoughtful of the driver. Sadly, that's the Nigerian Police for you. Except there's a follow up order from the above that car, will bail itself out.

    ReplyDelete
  14. The guy have issues o, one month into a relationship and you want to get married

    ReplyDelete
  15. Mehn!
    What a sad story



    #BaeisBeulah

    ReplyDelete
  16. The lady probably ended the relationship because of the man's psychological issues. She notice he is not alright. I have ended a relationship for the same reason. Crying and threatening to kill himsel, giving me almost half his salary, i can't say i feel like eating something passively oga will go to the other end of town to get it for me. If i go out without him or i stop him from coming along its tears upon tears and threats of suicide. I ended it and he didn't die. He is married now but still stalking me, i am only one step away from going to the police.

    ReplyDelete
  17. There are too many emotionally fragile young people nowadays


    Parents WAKE UP !

    ReplyDelete
  18. With this man's vehicle being impounded, what is NPF trying to portray.πŸ€”. They should release his car asap with even a letter of commendation. Not frustrating and discouraging citizens from doing good.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Olawale was thoughtful, sensitive and brave.
    What if he had ignored those signs.
    What if the guy had attacked him from behind, for filling to stop at his request.
    NPF, Please do the needful.. Be our friend indeed!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I didn't believe the heartbreak story initially as many people who attempt suicide and are still bent on the act will tell you anything just so that you can leave them alone to try again.

    Thanks Stella for coming back with this one.

    My main issue is wetin concern kabukabu and the guy wey attempt suicide? Why would the car of a good Samaritan be impounded while the police van that also witnessed the attempt was not impounded? The attempt happened OUTSIDE of the vehicle.

    We are not all born the same and suicide is not on the rise, it is the reporting of suicide that is increasing because we can no longer hide it. People are becoming more creative and expressive with how they choose to end their lives so we can no longer lie that they had a brief illness, spiritual attack or that that they took fake drugs or bought fake fuel. They are now leaving notes, stopping at bridges and making videos. In the olden days, suicide was not for jilted perfectionists but slighted warriors and dethroned kings- it was not the cowardly thing to do but considered the most gallant response to tragedy. Sango did it. Lisabi too. Romeo and Juliet is a double suicide play. Cleopatra went the same way. A suicide restored the name of a family and the person who did it was venerated in death. Don't judge people who think of this option or do it. They also thought the same way till the walls closed in so fast they couldn't see any hope or fully consider the pain it would cause the living. Not every suffering is the same and not everyone is wired to respond the same way.

    I hope the car is released by the useless police and I hope this guy gets help. His irrational response to this setback tells me he may be in the market for a particular insecticide the next time he is faced with any sort of rejection.

    ReplyDelete

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