Monthly Media Report on Suicide Incidents In Nigeria (August 2020)

Nigeria witnessed an unprecedented spate of suicides in 2019, especially with media coverage of such incidents. Some schools of thought have argued that suicide incidents had existed in Nigeria possibly on a large scale but most of such incidents were never reported in the media. Well, 2019 saw a number of incidents reported in social and mainstream media.

The alarming rate of suicides that took place in Nigeria in 2019 remains as a puzzle to many people. It is now a fact that 2019 recorded the highest rate of suicide incidents among Nigerians in modern times with 70 reported cases in the media. Some analysts have argued that the media are majorly or partly responsible for suicide rates in most societies based on what is called ‘suicide contagion’ which is a form of copy cat suicide. This means that people are likely to commit suicide after exposure to suicidal behaviour especially through the mass media. Some other schools of thought say many other factors are responsible for suicide rates apart from media reports on the incident. Among such factors are frustration, failed relationships, poor academic performance, and depression. The sad news is that suicide incidents have continued to pop up in 2020 premised on almost the same reasons as the incidents in 2019. Here is a list of suicide incidents in Nigeria that took place in August, 2020 as reported by the media.

CASE ONE

Story Title: Jilted lover commits suicide in Rivers

Victim’s Name: ‘Tailor’

Marital Status: Single

Date: August 1

Gender: Male

Age: Middle Aged

Method: Hanging

Reason: Failed romance

Type: Suicide

Occupation: Tailor

State Where incident Happened: Rivers

Victim’s State of Origin: Kogi

Story Summary:

A middle-aged man who was alleged to have been jilted by his lover has committed suicide in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Witnesses said the tragedy occurred at the weekend in Omuokiri village in Aluu community, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

Daily Sun gathered that the deceased, who was popularly identified as Tailor, from Kogi State, allegedly committed suicide on Saturday (August 1), at about 10 pm.

According to sources within the vicinity, where the incident occurred, Tailor’s girlfriend (name withheld) told him that fateful day that they should end the relationship for an undisclosed reason.

One of Tailor’s neighbours who gave his name as Mike Chili, disclosed that the lover girl visited the young man that day, but decided to quit the relationship because of some undisclosed reasons.

Chuku narrated that neighbours had intervened to resolve the matter, but the lady refused and moved out of the room with her belongings.

He said: “The incident happened last night. The young man was with his girl friend in the room and they had problem.

“The lady said she is no longer interested in the relationship. She packed her things and left the house. It was later that one of our neighbours found out that Tailor has hung himself.

“As I speak to you now, there is trouble in the compound, because the people of Aluu said it is a taboo in their area. They have locked the gate and asked everybody to pack out till traditional cleaning in done in the compound”, Chuku disclosed.

Source: The Sun

CASE TWO

Story Title: Father of three commits suicide in Enugu

Victim’s Name: Emmanuel Eze

Marital Status: Married

Date: August 3

Gender: Male

Age: Not given

Method: Hanging

Reason: Suspected mental health challenge

Type: Suicide

Occupation: Not given

State Where incident Happened: Enugu

Victim’s State of Origin: Enugu

Story Summary:

A father of three children, Emmanuel Eze on Monday allegedly committed suicide at Amagu Umudiaka village, Ihe community in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Mr Eze, who hailed from Ehe-alumona, Nsukka, reportedly hanged himself in the early hours of Monday in an uncompleted one-storey building close to the house where he lived as a tenant with his family.

Elder brother to the deceased, Silas Eze, who confirmed the incident, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka on Monday that his late brother had been behaving abnormally before he took his life.

Source: Premium Times

CASE THREE

Story Title: Father UNICAL student allegedly commits suicide after being defrauded of her school fees

Victim’s Name: Veronica Bako Myomuter

Marital Status: Single

Date: August 6

Gender: Female

Age: 18

Method: Poisonous substance (sniper)

Reason: Scammed by fraudsters

Type: Suicide

Occupation: Student

State Where incident Happened: Not given

Victim’s State of Origin: Benue

Story Summary:

Veronica Bako Myomuter, a 100 level student of the Department of History and International Studies at the University of Calabar, has reportedly committed suicide after being defrauded of her school fees.

The 18-year-old indigene of Katsina-Ala in Benue State allegedly committed suicide by ingesting a poisonous substance on Thursday August 6, after being scammed of N100,000 said to be her school fees which she couldn’t pay before the outbreak of Coronavirus.

Source: Lindaikejisblog

CASE FOUR

Story Title: Married man commits suicide in Rivers

Victim’s Name: Chinedu Peter Ogwa

Marital Status: Married

Date: August 27

Gender: Male

Age: 45

Method: Poisonous substance (sniper)

Reason: Frustration

Type: Suicide

Occupation: Business man

State Where incident Happened: Rivers

Victim’s State of Origin: Not given

Story Summary:

A 45-year-old married man, Chinedu Peter Ogwa, committed suicide at his home situated at Wokoma street in Mile 3 Diobu in Rivers state on Thursday night August 27.

The Nation reports that Chidinma Ogwa, wife of the deceased, said her husband started behaving strangely on Monday, August 24. She said he left behind a suicide note where he appealed to her and their children to forgive him. She said her late husband blamed his action on frustration, lack of business success, as well as inability to recover his debts among others.

Source: Lindaikejisblog;

and Vanguard