25-Year-Old Man Dies After Falling into Soakaway in Oyo

The Oyo State Fire Services Agency has recovered the lifeless body of a 25-year-old man from a soakaway in the Kinnira area, opposite Zion Christian Academy School in Ogbomoso, Ogbomoso North Local Government Area.

The victim, whose name was not disclosed, reportedly fell into the soakaway on Friday while attempting to inspect an abandoned structure.

The incident was confirmed in a statement on Saturday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Fire Reform and Chairman of the agency, Moroof Akinwande. He said the command received a distress call at about 7:41 pm on Friday from one John Onigbinde, reporting that a man had fallen into a soakaway in the area.

Fire service personnel led by CFS Dairo were immediately deployed to the scene for rescue operations. The team applied necessary rescue knots and operational procedures, recovering the victim within a short period. The body was handed over to officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Owode Division, Ogbomoso.

Akinwande explained that a post-incident investigation revealed the man attempted to inspect storage tanks located close to the soakaway to determine the water level. While crossing the area, he accidentally lost his balance and fell into the soakaway.

The agency urged residents to exercise caution around soakaways, wells, and other uncovered openings, warning that such sites pose serious safety risks if left unsecured.