Suicide is the act of intentionally taking one’s life. 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.
We continue our documentation of media reports on suicide incidents in Nigeria. The suicide reports considered are credible stories from mainstream media or some highly rated social media platforms and forums. Here is a list of suicide incidents in Nigeria that took place in December, 2020 as reported by the media.
CASE ONE
Story Title: Council worker owed three months sets self ablaze in Benue
Victims’ Names: Aondona Yaga
Marital Status: Married
Date: December 8
Gender: Male
Age: Not given
Method: Set self ablaze
Reason: Frustration
Type: Suicide
Occupation: Local Government Worker
State Where incident Happened: Benue
Victim’s State of Origin: Not given
Story Summary:
A middle-aged man and casual worker at Gwer East Local Government Area secretariat, Benue State, Aondona Yaga, has committed suicide by setting himself ablaze in his Aliade residence.
An eyewitness said that Aondona, until his death, worked as a cleaner at the council secretariat, adding that the deceased who lived with his grandmother in the same compound took ill some days ago and was undergoing treatment but complained bitterly that he needed money to take care of his needs and also continue with his treatment.
“Everyone was surprised when on Tuesday night around 8:00p.m. he went into his room, locked himself and set the house ablaze. When people noticed what was happening, the door of the building was pulled down but before anybody got to him he was already dead,” he said.
Source: The Guardian
CASE TWO
Story Title: Man commits suicide in Imo
Victims’ Names: Not given
Marital Status: Not given
Date: December 18
Gender: Male
Age: Not given
Method: Hanging
Reason: Frustration
Type: Suicide
Occupation: Not given
State Where incident Happened: Imo
Victim’s State of Origin: Not given
Story Summary:
An unidentified young man committed suicide in Uratta Owerri North LGA, Imo State on Friday, December 18, IgbereTV reports.
The deceased did not leave any suicide note so the reason for his dastard act is unknown. However, his neighbors claim he might have decided to take his life due to economic hardship and hunger. His body has since been removed from the tree where it was found.
Source: Igbere TV
CASE THREE
Story Title: Mother of 5 displaced by Ebonyi communal war commits suicide over hardship
Victims’ Names: Ifeoma Otubo
Marital Status: Married
Date: December 20
Gender: Female
Age: 45
Method: Hanging
Reason: Frustration
Type: Suicide
Occupation: Farmer
State Where incident Happened: Ebonyi
Victim’s State of Origin: Ebonyi
Story Summary:
Due to hardship, which she had complained about several times, a middle-aged woman, Ifeoma Otubo, whose family was displaced by an Ebonyi State communal war, committed suicide by hanging on Sunday.
She was found dangling from a mango tree by her children at their Okposi Umuoghara abode, in Ezza North Local Government Area of the state.
Christopher Nwuzor, a brother to the diseased, said the 45 years old mother of five had, sometime in 2014, attempted to commit suicide because of hardship, but was rescued by people who spotted her.
Before she took her life in the early hours of Sunday, she had complained of hardship, as she could not take care of her five children, the first of which is about 25 years of age.
Source: Vanguard
READ ALSO: Monthly Media Reports on Suicide Incidents in Nigeria – November 2020
CASE FOUR
Story Title: 300L Unilorin student commits suicide over N300m Forex deal
Victims’ Names: Gbenga Favour Olaoye Akanbi
Marital Status: Single
Date: December 22 (reported)
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Method: Poison
Reason: Frustration
Type: Suicide
Occupation: Student
State Where incident Happened: Lagos
Victim’s State of Origin: Not given
Story Summary:
A 300 level student of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Gbenga Favour Olaoye Akanbi has reportedly poisoned himself to death having been duped to the tune of N300M in a Forex deal.
A source in Ilorin told Vanguard that the sad incident happened in Lagos.
Vanguard reliably gathered that Gbenga aged 19, allegedly collected the N300 million from his ring of nine friends with whom he was involved in the Forex deal.
Source: Vanguard
CASE FIVE
Story Title: Nigerian Lady Commits Suicide after being repeatedly raped by cleric dad
Victims’ Names: Ohirenua Giwa-Amu
Marital Status: Single
Date: December 28 (reported)
Gender: Female
Age: Not Given
Method: Not given
Reason: Frustration/Depression
Type: Suicide
Occupation: Not given
State Where incident Happened: Not given
Victim’s State of Origin: Edo
Story Summary:
This is coming a day after a young lady, Ohirenua Giwa-Amu, committed suicide. Ohirenua had recently written an open letter to her father and popular pastor, Femi Giwa-Amu, for allegedly repeatedly raping her when she was seven years old. Ohirenua’s death was confirmed by her friends who also wrote several tributes on her social media pages.
Source: The Guardian; Sahara Reporters
CASE SIX
Story Title: Ogun student commits suicide for being dumped by girlfriend
Victims’ Names: Nonso
Marital Status: Single
Date: December 30 (reported)
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Method: Not given
Reason: Failed Relationship
Type: Suicide
Occupation: Student
State Where incident Happened: Ogun
Victim’s State of Origin: Not given
Story Summary:
Barely a week after a 300-level student of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Gbenga Favour Olaoye Akanbi, poisoned himself to death for being defrauded to the tune of N300 million in a forex deal, a student of Ogun State Institute of Technology (OGITECH) has reportedly committed suicide for being dumped by his girlfriend.
The deceased, simply identified as Nonso, was a fresh National Diploma graduate of the institution from the department of Businesses Administration.
According to a close friend who confirmed the incident, the deceased had recently sent his girlfriend, one Miracle, to Dubai, “but Miracle went ahead and got married to another man.
Source: The Guardian
N.B: The cases presented here are incidents reported in social media and mainstream media which do not have very controversial angles to them in terms of whether they happened or not. These are verifiable incidents. There are some other unverifiable cases that looked very controversial on face value which were not captured here. Some of them were either reported only by one or two unreliable platforms, or the reports had contents that queried whether the incident was suicide or not.