Man Falls From 26-Storey Cocoa House Building In Ibadan

A yet-to-be-identified man has fallen from one of the top floors of the iconic Cocoa House building in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by Victor Ayetoro, the Head, Branding and Communication, Odu’a Investment Company Limited.

Ayetoro, however, failed to state the gender and identity of the individual.

He said, “We regret to report an unfortunate incident of a fall that occurred earlier today at Cocoa House, Ibadan, involving an individual.

“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.

“Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”

Meanwhile, an eyewitness, Mr. Bolaji, a phone engineer near the Post Office close to Cocoa House, while narrating what transpired, said: “When the incident happened, I initially thought it was a large bird falling from the sky.

“It was only when the person landed that I realised it was a human being. I had my phone with me, but I couldn’t even record anything because I was completely shocked.

“The man first hit a roof beside the security post of the building before landing on the ground. It was a terrifying sight.”

Other people around the scene of the incident suggested the man may have either been working at the building or deliberately jumped, but the exact circumstances remain unclear as investigations continue.

Cocoa House is a historic skyscraper in Ibadan. Completed in July 1964 and opened in July 1965, it was the first skyscraper in West Africa and stood as Nigeria’s tallest building until 1979. The building is still the tallest in Oyo State.