Tragedy struck in parts of Oyo State on Monday and Tuesday as the Oyo State Fire Service recovered the corpses of two men from deep wells in separate incidents in Saki and Ogbomoso, underscoring the dangers associated with unsafe rescue attempts and unprotected wells.
One of the victims, a middle-aged man whose identity was withheld, reportedly lost his life while attempting to rescue a goat that had fallen into a deep well at the Mokola area of Saki in Saki West Local Government Area. The second victim, identified as 30-year-old Shina Adedeji, died after falling into a well at the Aaje Ikose area of Ogbomoso in Ogbomoso North Local Government Area.
Confirming the incidents in a statement issued in Ibadan on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reforms and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Moroof Akinwande, said the agency responded promptly to distress calls from both locations but could only recover the lifeless bodies of the victims.
According to Akinwande, the Saki incident occurred on Monday night when the agency received an emergency call at about 10:23 p.m. from residents of the area. Firefighters, led by Principal Fire Superintendent II Kolade Taiwo, were immediately deployed to the scene, where it was discovered that a man of about 45 years had entered a deep well in an attempt to rescue a goat.
“Our officers quickly swung into action, secured the environment with the necessary equipment and successfully recovered the man from the well,” Akinwande said. “The incident occurred when the man willingly entered the well to rescue a goat and became trapped.”
In the second incident, Akinwande disclosed that fire service officials were summoned at about 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday to Aaje Ikose, Ogbomoso, following reports that a man had fallen into a well. Firefighters, led by Chief Fire Manager Oladejo, arrived at the scene and recovered the body of Adedeji.
He explained that the victim was trapped in a well containing ammonia gas while attempting to retrieve a fetcher, a situation that proved fatal before help could arrive.
Reacting to the recurring incidents, the fire service chairman warned residents to exercise extreme caution in their daily activities and to avoid undertaking dangerous rescue efforts without professional assistance. He stressed that many wells across the state remain uncovered and poorly ventilated, posing serious risks to human life.
“Members of the public should always prioritise their safety. Life has no duplicate, and avoidable risks should not be taken under any circumstance,” Akinwande cautioned.
The latest incidents add to a growing list of similar tragedies in the state. On January 25, 2026, the Oyo State Fire Service recovered the body of a 33-year-old man from a deep well at a filling station in the Alakia–Adegbayi area of Ibadan, Egbeda Local Government Area, after he reportedly entered the abandoned well to clean debris and became trapped.
Authorities have renewed calls for proper covering of wells, improved public safety awareness, and prompt engagement of emergency services to prevent further loss of lives across the state.
