Father of 5 commits suicide over life's troubles

isaac

August 20, 2015 6:13 PM

A father of five who was overcome by the misfortunes of life decided to end it all by committing suicide.

Residents of Dutse Makaranta in the Bwari Area Council of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, were thrown into shock over the discovery of the body of 55-year-old man identified simply as Tijjani, dangling on a rope in an uncompleted building the area, in a apparent suicide, on Thursday, August 20.

According to a resident, the deceased who is a father of five, had been heard lamenting his woes and misery in life as he has been unable to to cater for his family and his perceived rejection by the community, though no one expected he could go as far as killing himself over his situation.

It was gathered that the late man who was a native of Kogi State, had worked with the FCT Water Board as a casual staff for several years before he was eventually laid off and his family had only been depending on his wife who sold akamu (pap) for their upkeep.

A family friend said that man had complained several times of non-payment of his salaries as well as his gratuities and that his situation was further compounded when the wife fell sick, a situation that affected the little business she was doing as the proceeds became inadequate to cater for the family.

According to the friend, the family was asleep late in the night on the fateful day when the deceased sneaked out from the house.

“It was when one of the daughters went to carry the basket of corn to grind for the pap that she saw the lifeless body of the father dangling from a rope in an uncompleted building close to their house.”

He said the girl raised an alarm which attracted other members of the family and neighbours who came and carried corpse away.

When contacted, Dutse Divisional Police Officer, SP Hajiya Aisha Yusuf, confirmed the incident, describing it as unfortunate.

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