By Newspot Nigeria Staff Reporter
Panic gripped the city of Ibadan on Monday morning as a middle-aged man reportedly jumped from an upper floor of the iconic 26-storey Cocoa House, leaving bystanders in shock and confusion.
Eyewitnesses say the man, whose identity remains unknown, fell from the towering height and struck the roof near the building’s security post before crashing to the ground with multiple injuries.
“It was just like a film when I saw the man coming from the top floor of the Cocoa House building,” said Adetoro Oke, a witness. “One cannot just imagine that someone can do that. I seriously believe something is wrong with the man.”
Despite the horrifying fall, the individual miraculously survived and was immediately rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, by an emergency response team.
In an official statement, Victor Ayetoro, Head of Branding and Communication at Odu’a Investment Company Limited—the firm managing Cocoa House—described the individual as a stranger and confirmed that the company is actively cooperating with authorities to investigate the incident.
“We regret to report an unfortunate incident of a fall that occurred earlier today at Cocoa House, Ibadan, involving an individual,” Ayetoro said.
“Our emergency response team acted promptly, and the affected individual has been taken to the University College Hospital (UCH) for urgent medical attention. We are deeply concerned by this development and are fully cooperating with the relevant authorities to support the ongoing investigation.”
While some onlookers believe the fall may have been a suicide attempt, others suggest possible mental health issues may have been involved. The full circumstances surrounding the event are still under investigation.
The Cocoa House, completed in 1965 and rising 105 meters into the Ibadan skyline, remains a historic monument in Nigeria’s post-independence economic history—making this incident all the more jarring for residents and business owners in the area.
Newspot Nigeria will continue to follow this developing story and provide updates as more verified information emerges.
