A 52-year-old man, Alaba Ayeni, has died after allegedly jumping into a domestic well in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The incident occurred early Tuesday at a location beside Lamp Bearers Islamic School, off Asa-Dam Road, Ilorin.
The state Fire Service confirmed the incident, saying it received a distress call and arrived at the scene at about 8:42 a.m.

A source in the community, Ambali Raheem, said Ayeni, who was a resident of the area, was discovered inside the well by some children, who immediately raised the alarm and alerted elders in the neighbourhood.

Raheem said the incident occurred close to the deceased’s residence.

According to the Fire Service, its personnel commenced a recovery operation upon arrival and successfully retrieve Ayeni’s body from the well .

The service said the body was subsequently handed over to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Budo-Nuhu Police Station, Bolaji, for further necessary action.

Reacting to the incident, the Chief Fire Officer, Alabi Muhammed, expressed concern over the development and urged residents to properly secure domestic wells and other open water sources in residential areas to prevent accidents.

He also advised parents, guardians and community leaders to ensure that children do not move around unattended near wells, drainage channels and other potentially hazardous areas.

The Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-member independent committee to investigate the deaths of 37 people detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State over suspected illegal mining.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, inaugurated the committee on Tuesday in Abuja, following a directive by President Bola Tinubu for a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

The committee is chaired by retired Deputy Director-General of the Department of State Services, Jonathan Kure, while a former Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, will serve as secretary.

Other members are retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma; Prof Olayinka Buhari, a professor of Histopathology and former Chief Medical Director of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital; a representative of the Minna Emirate Council; and a representative of the Niger State Government.

The United States has refused to issue visas for members of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s delegation, including his communications team, for this week’s trip to the UN General Assembly, Iranian state media reported Monday.

Pezeshkian will be the highest-ranking Iranian official to enter the United States since the Middle East war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.

“In an unprecedented hostile move by the US government, (US President Donald) Trump has denied US visas to certain members of the president’s high-level delegation, including members of his communications team,” state news agency IRNA reported.

The Mehr news agency also carried the story, citing a spokesperson for the Iranian presidency, and added that Pezeshkian will address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

The US has authorised the Iranian delegation to travel for the UN General Assembly but will, like last year, put restrictions in place.

Iran’s delegation will not, for instance, be allowed to purchase luxury goods or other items, the State Department said on Thursday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, part of the delegation to the UN, left Iran on Sunday evening for a stopover in Qatar.

Iran says it has conveyed to the US, via Qatar as mediator, conditions for reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz oil and gas shipping route, which it has choked off since the war began.

The United States, in turn, is imposing a counterblockade of Iranian ports.

AFP