Monthly Media Reports on Suicide Incidents in Nigeria – November 2020

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 November, 2020 as reported by the media.

CASE ONE

Story Title: Ex-lecturer shoots wife, kills self in Kaduna

Victims’ Names: Austin Umera

Marital Status: Married

Date: November 19

Gender: Male

Age: Not given

Method: Gun shot

Reason: Relationship issue (domestic quarrel)

Type: Suicide

Occupation: Retiree

State Where incident Happened: Kaduna

Victim’s State of Origin: Not given

Story Summary:

A retired Kaduna State Polytechnic lecturer, Mr. Austin Umera, yesterday shot his wife, Dr. Maurin Umera, a part-time lecturer at the Department of Languages in Kaduna State University (KASU) before committing suicide over a domestic quarrel at his residence in Kigo road, Kaduna.

Austin, who lectured at the Department of Languages of the polytechnic before his retirement, had argued with his wife and threatened to shoot her if she talks further. The incident happened around 10:00 a.m. on Thursday.

Source: The Guardian

 

CASE TWO

Story Title: UNIOSUN student found dead hours after posting about suicide on social media

Victims’ Names: Juba Babatunde Phillips

Marital Status: Single

Date: November 24

Gender: Male

Age: Not given

Method: Bottle of pesticide (sniper)

Reason: Not given

Type: Suicide

Occupation: Student

State Where incident Happened: Osun

Victim’s State of Origin: Not given

Story Summary:

Juba Babatunde Phillips, a 100-level Theatre Art student of Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Ikire campus, has died. The young man was found dead in his hostel by a friend on Tuesday and it is alleged he committed suicide.

According to sources, the deceased had been contemplating suicide in some of his social media messages in recent times. He had same Tuesday shared two posts on his WhatsApp status. One was about the hardship he has survived; the other was wondering why people commit suicide.

…However, the spokesperson for the state police command, SP Yemisi Opalola, said the incident was reported to the police by the institution’s Chief Security Officer, Akintibubo Rahman, on Tuesday evening.

She added that the deceased was met lifeless after drinking a bottle of pesticide before he was eventually confirmed dead by a medical doctor, adding that the police have deposited the body at the morgue with a view to carrying out an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Source: The Guardian

 

READ ALSO: Monthly Media Reports on Suicide Incidents in Nigeria – October 2020

CASE THREE

Story Title:  Man commits suicide in Kano over ‘family burdens’

Victims’ Names: Ibrahim Abubakar

Marital Status: Married

Date: November 26

Gender: Male

Age: 50

Method: Hanging

Reason: Family burdens/Depression

Type: Suicide

Occupation: Business man

State Where incident Happened: Kano

Victim’s State of Origin: Not given

Story Summary:

One Ibrahim Abubakar, shop owner along Zoo Road in Kano metropolis, committed suicide on Thursday evening.

His body was discovered hanging from a rope in his shop.

He said: “Our father was battling with psychological trauma and he is also poverty-stricken. More so, my sister is due to be given out in marriage soon.

“We performed the evening prayer with him after which he went back to the shop and hung himself. He gave up the ghost despite attempts to save him when he was discovered.”
Source: Vanguard

 

CASE FOUR

Story Title:  Nicodemus, 39, sets self, girlfriend ablaze in Benue

Victims’ Names: Nicodemus

Marital Status: Married

Date: November 15 (reported)

Gender: Male

Age: 39

Method: Set self ablaze

Reason: Failed relationship

Type: Murder-Suicide

Occupation: Not given

State Where incident Happened: Benue

Victim’s State of Origin: Not given

Story Summary:

The Police Command in Benue, on Sunday, said that a middle-aged man, simply identified as Nicodemus, has set himself and his girlfriend ablaze in Makurdi.

The command’s Spokesperson, DSP Catherine Anene, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi that Nicodemus died on the spot, while the girlfriend, also identified as Shiminenge, died later at the Benue State Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.

Anene explained that Nicodemus committed the act at his girlfriend’s residence on Inkipi Street, High-Level area of Makurdi on Saturday evening.

She said that an argument had ensued between them, adding, however, that the cause of the argument was unknown.

She said that Nicodemus had locked himself and the lady in her room before setting the room ablaze.
Source: Vanguard

 

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.