A 51-year-old cleaner’s son’s attempt to do a good deed turned into a double tragedy in Abule Egba area of Lagos State this week.
A man has died while trying to rescue a two-year-old toddler who fell into a domestic well inside a compound.
The incident happened on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at No. 4, Paul Street, inward Agbe Road, Abule Egba.
According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, the agency received a distress call at exactly 9:48 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
How it happened
LASEMA said preliminary investigation showed that the toddler, whose mother works as a cleaner in the compound, accidentally fell into the well.
When people in the compound shouted for help, a man from the Hausa community who lives in the area quickly volunteered to help.
He climbed down into the well to bring the child out. But he got trapped inside and could not climb back out.
Neighbours tried to pull both of them out but failed, so they called emergency responders.
When LASEMA responders arrived from their Igando base, they met residents already trying to rescue the victims. The agency then joined forces with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps and the Nigeria Police Force.
Rescue Efforts
The rescue operation was very difficult.
The well had a lot of water and very thick mud at the bottom. The team tried to pump out the water, but they had operational challenges.
After sustained efforts, the man who went in to rescue the child was brought out — but he was already dead.
His body was placed in a body bag and handed over to his relatives and members of the Hausa community for burial according to their customs.
LASEMA described his action as an act of uncommon bravery.
The search for the toddler continued. The team later called a specialist local diver to enter the well for a final search.
The diver searched inside the mud and confirmed that the child’s body had sunk deep into the thick mud and could no longer be recovered. The only thing recovered was one shoe belonging to the toddler.
Following the diver’s report and after talking with the child’s family and community leaders, LASEMA announced that the rescue operation had ended.
LASEMA’s Warning
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, who issued the statement, commiserated with both families.
He warned Lagos residents to always cover, raise and properly secure wells and other open pits in their compounds, especially in homes where small children live.
He also advised people not to attempt dangerous rescues without proper equipment and training. Instead, he said residents should call emergency toll-free lines 767 or 112 immediately.
#LASEMA
#Toddler
#Braveman
#Abuleegba
#Mandies
#Lagos
Credit: All about Lagos
