Monthly Media Reports on Suicide Incidents in Nigeria – August 2022

People experience suicidal thoughts due to various reasons such as frustration, depression, failed relationship, mental health challenge, academic failure, among others. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 1 million people die each year from suicide. It is difficult to anticipate suicide in most instances and this makes it a terribly dangerous menace in any society. What drives so many individuals to take their own lives remains a serious puzzle though depression is at the center of the probable cause, according to scholars and counselors. The fact is that a suicidal person is in so much pain that he or she can see no other option. Suicide is a desperate attempt to escape suffering that has become unbearable. A suicidal person is often blinded by feelings of self-loathing, helplessness, hopelessness, and isolation. The person hardly sees any way of finding relief except through death.

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. But 2020 witnessed a slight drop in suicide incidents in Nigeria as reported in the media. Also, the leading method of suicide shifted from use of sniper insecticide which came tops in 2019, to hanging which topped in 2020. We continue our record on suicide incidents in 2022.

Here’s a list of suicide incidents that occurred in August 2022, as reported in the media.

CASE ONE

Story Title: 17-year-old secondary school student commits suicide in Kwara

Victim’s Name: Adegoke Adeyemi

Marital Status: Single

Date: Tuesday, August 2

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Method: Hanging

Reason: Not given

Type: Suicide

Occupation: Not given

State Where incident Happened: Kwara

Victim’s State of Origin: Not given

Story Summary:

A 17-year-old male identified as Adegoke Adeyemi, has committed suicide as his lifeless body was found dangling on a tree behind a hotel in Offa on Tuesday, August 2.

A statement released by the spokesperson of the state police command, SP Okasanmi Ajayi, says the Divisional Police Officer, Offa, at about 3.34pm on the said day received a report of a lifeless body of a body found dangling from a tree.

Source: Lindaikejiblog

CASE TWO

Story Title: 16-year-old girl commits suicide over alleged forced marriage in Kano

Victim’s Name: Sadiya Usman

Marital Status: Single

Date: Monday, August 1

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Method: Hanging

Reason: Failed relationship (alleged forced marriage)

Type: Suicide

Occupation: Not given

State Where incident Happened: Kano

Victim’s State of Origin: Not given

Story Summary:

A sixteen-year-old girl, Sadiya Usman, hanged herself at Garin Dauru village in Warawa Local Government Area, Kano State over alleged forced marriage.

Spokesman of the Kano State Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa confirmed the incident to DAILY POST.

According to him “police on 01/08/2022 at about 3:00 received a phone call from the village Head of Garin Dauru town in Warawa local Government that a girl hanged herself in her room”.

Source: Daily Post

CASE THREE

Story Title: 16-year-old boy commits suicide in Kano

Victim’s Name: Ibrahim Lawan

Marital Status: Single

Date: Tuesday, August 16 (reported)

Gender: Male

Age: 16

Method: Hanging

Reason: Not given

Type: Suicide

Occupation: Not given

State Where incident Happened: Kano

Victim’s State of Origin: Not given

Story Summary:

A 16-year-old boy, Ibrahim Lawan, has committed suicide by hanging in Kuki village, Bebeji Local Government Area of Kano State.

The Public Relations Officer of Rano Emirate, Nasiru Habu Faragai, said the district head of Bebeji submitted the report of the tragic incident to the Emir of Rano, Ambassador Kabiru Muhammad Inuwa, during the Emirate Council meeting on Monday, August 15, 2022.

He explained that the emir directed that the report be taken to the police in the Emirate Council for discreet investigation into the cause of the death.

The PRO told Daily Trust that the deceased’s father was interrogated by the village head on whether the boy was into ”drugs or mentally ill.”

Source: Lindaikejiblog