Last Sunday, two young ladies drowned at the Elegushi Beach in Ajah
during their friend’s birthday.
The deceased – Adesola Ogunmefun and 25-year-old Funmi Odusina – were
having fun with their friend, Bolu, on the beach when they were
submerged by strong tides, which swept them into the Atlantic Ocean.
having fun with their friend, Bolu, on the beach when they were
submerged by strong tides, which swept them into the Atlantic Ocean.
They had graduated from the Covenant
University and were on the verge of bagging their Master’s Degrees in
International Law and Diplomacy from UNILAG.
University and were on the verge of bagging their Master’s Degrees in
International Law and Diplomacy from UNILAG.
While Ogunmefun was brought out dead,
Bolu and Odusina were said to have been rushed to some private hospitals
in the area which rejected them.
Bolu and Odusina were said to have been rushed to some private hospitals
in the area which rejected them.
Odusina died on the way to the Lagos Island General Hospital, while Bolu survived.
Families and friends of deceased had
blamed the deaths on the alleged failure of the beach management to
provide necessary safety devices like life guards, a wave alarm system,
an ambulance and a medical unit at the facility and condemned the
indifference of the hospitals that rejected the victims.
blamed the deaths on the alleged failure of the beach management to
provide necessary safety devices like life guards, a wave alarm system,
an ambulance and a medical unit at the facility and condemned the
indifference of the hospitals that rejected the victims.
Odusina’s elder sister, Bukola, had also
lamented that the incident shattered her sister’s dreams to become a
philanthropist, an ambassador and a mechanised farmer, calling on the
government to ensure that the beach had adequate safety devices.
lamented that the incident shattered her sister’s dreams to become a
philanthropist, an ambassador and a mechanised farmer, calling on the
government to ensure that the beach had adequate safety devices.
Popular Travel Blogger, Chiamaka Obuekwe penned this emotional open letter hours ago.
This one really hit close to home?. I wasn’t close to them but they were also graduates of my school, Covenant university, from the same course International relations but a set ahead, 2011. A lot of you may have already heard about their sad & unexpected death. No, it was not a car accident because that was what I thought at first when I heard 2 friends died together. I’ve just been thinking about how to put my words together because it’s really sad.
They lost their lives by drowning at Elegushi beach on Sunday evening. I mean, lot’s of people including me, go to the beach for a friend’s birthday party or any other celebration so it’s very normal. They did not go to swim, because a couple of people have been saying who sent them to swim. They were backing the water at some point, taking a picture, when a high tidal wave unexpectedly swept them away (3 actually) but brought back one alive. Funmi could have still had a chance to live, in fact both of them but then hospitals did not treat them without registration and all, so they died. Really cruel world.
I mean Elegushi beach charges 1k for entry, another amount for parking, another for space & seats & more & yet they can’t provide one single life guard or a wave alarm system ? To be honest, I never put my mind on this before now because I used to say I’ll never swim in any of these beaches, but with this & all the past deaths & near death experiences, we can’t take it again.
Actually 2 years ago another CU student drowned there & others too. Something has to be done. We demand that Nigerian beaches provide proper safety measure & these things won’t cost them much, especially with the exorbitant rates they charge people. A petition has been put together on change.org the link is in my bio. Please sign it & join this movement. We can’t afford to loose more lives. Sola was 27 & Funmi 24, they both had good jobs, loving families & were about to complete their masters in Unilag. It could have been anyone because it was so unexpected. This cannot happen again. Nigerian beaches need to be safe.
#RIPSola #RIPfunmi #Savelivesatthebeach #fallenbeacons #Falleneagles #Covenantuniversity #Jointhemovementeveryone
#RIPSola #RIPfunmi #Savelivesatthebeach #fallenbeacons #Falleneagles #Covenantuniversity #Jointhemovementeveryone
Meanwhile the Lagos State Police Public Relations
Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, has revealed that the Managers at the beach have been arrested.
Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, has revealed that the Managers at the beach have been arrested.
She said, “The command has arrested two
managers of the beach and they are being interrogated. We don’t want to
release their names now so as not to infringe on their human rights. As
soon as we ascertain their culpability, their names will be made public.
managers of the beach and they are being interrogated. We don’t want to
release their names now so as not to infringe on their human rights. As
soon as we ascertain their culpability, their names will be made public.
“We hope to arrest more persons and we will visit the scene of the crime to know what transpired.”