There was a mild drama at Powerline Street, Calvary Bus Stop in Egbe-Idimu Local Council Development Area of Lagos state on Friday as a certain man mounted an electricity transmission tower, apparently to commit suicide.

The unidentified man believed to be in his 30’s, was said to have wandered around the vicinity in the early hours of the day before stopping at the foot of the tower at about 2p.m.

Based on eyewitnesses account, he removed some totems tied to the tower by a vigilance group and mounted it to the top despite warnings from residents and passers-by.

A resident, Mr. Kazeem Oyebola, told The Punch that the man did not look like a mentally challenged person. Oyebola said his responses showed he was on a suicide mission.

“He was not mad at all. He was clear enough when he talked except for some vague statements he made. He had a mission and it was to kill himself for some unknown reasons,” Oyebola added.

Another resident, identified as Odunayo, who sells alcoholic drinks in the area, said the man covered himself with a wrapper.

She added that many felt the tower climber wanted cheap publicity or had an intention to “carry out a diabolical assignment particularly as he wore red knickers.”

The incident attracted a crowd and some of them had to climb the tower to see if they could get him down.

Mr. Alao Salami, a community leader in the area, said when he sensed that the man was not ready to disembark from the tower after about three hours, he had to alert the police at the Idimu Police Station.

An official with an electricity distribution firm who did not want his name in print said the only way the man could have survived electrocution was because there was no electricity in the wires.