The Oyo State Fire Service Agency has recovered the bodies of two men from separate well incidents in different parts of the state, raising fresh concerns over public safety around uncovered and poorly ventilated wells.
The victims were identified as 30-year-old Shina Adedeji and another man estimated to be about 45 years old, whose identity was withheld.
The recoveries were confirmed on Tuesday by Moroof Akinwande, Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reforms and Chairman of the state Fire Service.
According to Akinwande, Adedeji fell into a well at the Aaje Ikose area of Ogbomoso in Ogbomoso North Local Government Area on Tuesday, adding that firefighters were alerted at about 9:45 a.m. and promptly mobilised to the scene.
Upon arrival, officers discovered that the victim had already been trapped in the well, which reportedly contained ammonia gas. His body was subsequently recovered by the agency.
In a separate incident, the Fire Service recovered the corpse of a middle-aged man from a deep well at the Mokola area of Saki in Saki West Local Government Area on Monday night. Akinwande said the agency received a distress call at exactly 10:23 p.m. through a running caller and one Yusuf Ismail.
He explained that fire officers, led by PFS II Kolade Taiwo, swiftly responded and found the man trapped inside the well. Despite rescue efforts, the victim was confirmed dead after being brought out.
Preliminary findings, the government official noted, indicated that the deceased had voluntarily entered the well in an attempt to rescue a goat before becoming trapped.
Akinwande cautioned residents to exercise extreme care in their daily activities, particularly when dealing with wells and confined spaces, stressing that avoidable risks often lead to fatal outcomes. “Members of the public must always prioritise their safety. Life has no duplicate,” he warned.
The latest incidents come barely days after a similar tragedy.
On January 25, 2026, the Fire Service recovered the body of a 33-year-old man from a deep well at a Rain Oil filling station in the Alakia-Adegbayi area of Ibadan, within Egbeda Local Government Area.