Men of the Oyo State Fire Service have recovered the body of a 45-year-old man who became trapped in a soakaway pit while evacuating accumulated faecal matters in Ibadan.
Heritage Echo learnt that the incident occurred on Monday evening along NTC Road, in the Oke-Ado area of the state capital.
Special Adviser to the Governor on fire Service Reform/Agency Chairman, Hon. Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, disclosed this on Wednesday, explaining that the victim was carrying out evacuation work inside the soakaway pit when the incident occurred.
According to Akinwande, firefighters responded swiftly to the distress situation and deployed specialised recovery techniques, including the use of safety knots, to retrieve the trapped man.
He explained that the victim’s body was subsequently handed over to a team of police officers from the Iyaganku Divisional Headquarters, led by SP Francis Nwamini.
Akinwande said, “Upon arrival, we discovered that a man of about 45 years was trapped in a soakaway pit while carrying out the evacuation of accumulated faecal matter.
“The fire crew quickly swung into action by tying necessary knots to recover the victim and handed him over to a team of policemen from Iyaganku Divisional Headquarters led by SP Francis Nwamini.”
The incident underscores the potential dangers associated with confined-space sanitation and waste evacuation activities, particularly where adequate safety measures and protective equipment are not in place.
