A man died after jumping from the 7th floor of 1004 Housing Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos, during one of Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) raid in the area on Thursday morning.
A resident told The PUNCH that the deceased jumped from an apartment at Block D5 during the raid.
A combined team of EFCC officials and policemen had stormed the estate in search of some alleged Internet fraudsters otherwise known as ‘Yahoo Boys’.
However, during the raid, the deceased, who was believed to be a short-term resident, allegedly jumped from the apartment and died.
It was learnt that after the incident, the EFCC officials immediately left and informed policemen attached to the Bar Beach Police Division.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Lagos State, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident, adding that from all indications, the man was not even a suspect.
Adejobi said after the man fell, he was taken to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
The police spokesman said, “It was true. He was not even the target of the EFCC when he jumped from the seventh floor. We were told that he was not a resident but a guest. It is quite unfortunate. He was taken to the hospital after he had sustained fractures and he was placed on oxygen but gave up the ghost. We are trying to ascertain his identity. Once that is done, we will contact his family.”
In a statement by EFCC on Thursday evening, the commission said the man jumped “probably out of fright, and sustained injuries” but no mention of death.
See complete statement below:
“EFCC Statement
Incident at 1004 in Lagos
“The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to news circulating in the social media, purporting that a young man jumped to his death at an EFCC operations in Lagos.
“It is true that some operatives of the Commission went for an operation at the 1004 Estate in Lagos today, February 4, 2021 and left without incident.
“It was later discovered from residents that a young man in one of the wings of the estate jumped from the 7th floor, probably out of fright, and sustained injuries.
“The incident is being investigated by the Bar Beach Division of the Nigeria Police.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
4 February, 2021"
