Car plunge into Lagoon, rescue officials refused to act to save lives

Dear Lagos State government,

By Hadiza Oyewumi
It is with a heavy heart that I write this. Yesterday, August 23rd, 2025 tragedy struck close to home, we lost my best friend’s 27 year old niece. A promising entrepreneur with high aspirations, who sadly passed in a car accident that plunged into the lagoon. The circumstances of the crash remain unclear, but what is more painful is the response that followed. LASTMA and Marine Police were at the scene, but there was no meaningful rescue effort. It was only when her distraught siblings, parents, and uncle arrived that the reality set in, the officials were neither trained nor equipped to carry out such a mission.
In the end, it fell to local fishermen who knew what happened and even identified the exact spot where the car was. but before they would act, they demanded ₦400,000 to dive and retrieve her body. In their grief, the family paid not because they were bargaining, but because they simply wanted her body back for a proper burial. The point of writing is simple: we can do better. Can the government empower and equip local divers and fishermen as trained first responders? Can a fund or structure be created so that, in moments like this, money is not placed above humanity? Can lives be given a real chance of being saved rather than families being left to their trauma and desperation?
We pride ourselves as the “Center of Excellence,” but tragedies like this reveal the gaps. The Commercial Capital of the most populous black nation must not commercialize human lives. No one prays for such incidents, but when they happen, preparedness and compassion can make all the difference. On behalf of grieving families, past and present who have had to bear losses that could have been averted. I plead with you to act fast and right.
*Hadiza Oyewumi works in BOI Corporate Communication department