Man drowns inside well while retrieving faulty pumping machine

Kuton, according to his family, was invited by a neighbour who is a policeman, identified simply as Isa, in the early hours of Saturday, August 26, 2023, to help him remove the pumping machine.

After his efforts proved abortive, Kuton got stuck in the well and drowned. The deceased’s daughter, Tope, said the policeman called the family and residents to inform them about the accident.

He said, "It happened around 7 am. The man is a policeman with the Area K Division. His house is beside our own. He said his pumping machine fell inside the well, and he was looking for someone to remove it. 

"Three persons had declined to do it for him before he called my dad. He sent his plumber to call my dad, and when he got there, he offered to try his best. He had entered the well and brought out the pumping machine and it was left for him to come out, but he was unable to.

“He ran to our compound and cried out telling our family members that my dad had died inside the well. When we got there, we learnt that he made efforts to come out of the well but the water was too much and he drowned.

“The policeman went to Ilogbo Police Station to report. Policemen came and experts were contracted to remove his body from the well. The policemen asked us what we wanted. We asked that Isa should take care of the family’s responsibilities and pay the school fees of the children. He said he had heard but there is no written agreement to it. He refused to give any written agreement to that effect, saying he would only do what God puts in his capacity to do.”

Lagos Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, said the Force is investigating the matter to know if it was truly an accident.