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.
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 fact is that several articles in the media cite cases that happened across the years. This article contains facts about suicide incidents that occurred in Nigeria in 2019.
A new study has revealed that more Nigerian men committed suicide in 2019 than women. The study carried out by hypothesis.com, an independent research group, was a content analysis of reported cases of suicide in both mainstream and social media from January to December 2019. The figures showed that 69 suicide cases were recorded in 2019 out of which 75% (52 persons) were cases involving men while 15% (17 persons) were women. The study further showed that 22 students committed suicide in 2019; 59% of them were male students while 41% were female students. Out of the entire suicide cases, 53 were young adults/adolescents (here operationalized as age 39 and below) while 16 were old adults (here operationalized as age 40 and above). One child (a 9-year-old girl) was involved, which was counted here among the 53 young adults on the suicide incidents list.
Massmediang adopted the data journalism technique in reporting the trend of suicides in 2019 with facts from the study conducted by hypothesis.com. Full list of all suicide victims is also available.
The complete list of suicide victims in various states of the country was also recorded in the study. Most of the incidents were cross-checked in both social and mainstream media to further measure authenticity of the incidents. The doubtful incidents which appeared in just one or two social media platforms were not recorded.
The study further showed that only three cases were murder-suicide incidents while the rest involved only the suicide victims. Data further showed that the Southwest geopolitical zone recorded the highest suicide incidents with 34 (53%) of the entire cases while the Northeast recorded the lowest with just one case (1%). Southeast had six suicide cases (8%), South South recorded 12 (17%) of the incidents, Northwest recorded six (9%) of the incidents, while North Central geopolitical zone recorded ten (12%) of the incidents.
It was further gathered that the most common method of suicide in Nigeria in 2019 was the use of Sniper insecticide which had 37% of all cases, followed by hanging (28%), and ‘others’ (26%). Others here refers to the use of other methods such as use of gun, jumping into river, setting self ablaze, drinking other chemicals not Sniper, jumping in front of moving truck, among others. Sixteen percent of the methods were not stated in the reports so such incidents were classified as ‘unknown’.
Lagos state had the highest cases of suicide in 2019 with 21 out of the 68 incidents. This was followed by Oyo and Ogun state which had four incidents each, then Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states which recorded three incidents each. States that had two reported suicide incidents are Osun, Ekiti, Enugu, Anambra, Benue, Imo, Edo, and Kogi. Those that had just one incident of suicide as reported in the media are Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara, Borno, Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa, and Plateau state. The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, recorded two incidents. The following states had no suicide incident in 2019, Abia, Ebonyi, Cross River, Sokoto, Bauchi, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, and Gombe state.
Note that these cases are based on reports on mainstream and social media. Where an incident appeared only in just one or two social media platforms without presence in mainstream media or a number of other social media such incident was not recorded. Such a report on an incident in Abia State allegedly involving a retired civil servant was not recorded for lacking presence in other news platforms. There were no reported suicide cases in the entire North Eastern states, except one incident in Borno State. Every other zone recorded at least one incident in most of the states in 2019.
Here’s a list of Nigerians who committed suicide in 2019 as reported in the media;
List of Nigerians Who Committed Suicide in 2019
Name | Gender | Occupation | State (where incident occurred) | Reason | Method | Age | Month | |||
1 | Daniel Sakpe | Male | Not given | Ekiti | Not Given | Hanging | 60 | February | ||
2 | Not Given | Male | Not given | Niger | Depression | Hanging | – | February | ||
3 | Ridwan Ajiboye | Male | Student | Kwara | Embarrassed
By Lecturer |
Sniper | – | March | ||
4 | Not given | Female | Not given | Lagos | Lost three Kids in Building Collapse | Sniper | – | March | ||
5 | Gbenga Ayotunde | Male | Not given | Ondo | Frustration | Not given | Middle-aged | April | ||
6 | Chukwukezie Chika | Male | Not given | Anambra | Not given | Hanging | – | April | ||
7 | Mr. O.A. Subair | Male | Lecturer | Oyo | Depression | Fire/Poison | Middle-aged | April | ||
8. | Adewara Damilola Blessing | Female | Student | Ogun | Strained Relationship with Partner | Sniper | – | April | ||
9 | Kolapo Olowoporoku | Male | Student | Osun | Poor Academic Performance | Sniper | – | April | ||
10 | Kenile Nwabuzor | Female | Hair Dresser | Lagos | Strained Relationship with Partner | Hanging | 26 | April | ||
11 | Rebecca Michael | Female | Student | Kogi | Strained Relationship with Partner | Sniper | 20 | April | ||
12 | Tejiri Direia | Female | Student | Delta | Frustration | Sniper | – | April | ||
13 | Hikmat Gbadamosi | Female | Student | Rivers | Depression | Sniper | – | April | ||
14 | Chukwuemeka Akachi | Male | Student | Enugu | Mental Illness | Sniper | – | May | ||
List of Nigerians Who Committed Suicide in 2019 (Continued…)
Name | Gender | Occupation | State (where incident occurred) | Reason | Method | Age | Month | |||
15 | John Achagwa | Male | Civil Servant | Borno | Frustration | Hanging | – | May | ||
16 | Mr. “HOD” | Male | Student | Anambra | Depression | Sniper | – | May | ||
17 | Ezekiel Mayowa | Male | Student | Lagos | Strained Relationship with Partner | Sniper | 34 | May | ||
18 | Ebuka | Male | Not given | – | Strained Relationship with Partner | Sniper | – | May | ||
19 | Michael Arawosaiye | Male | Pastor | Abuja | Depression | Hanging | – | May | ||
20 | Amos Ibrahim | Male | Student | Plateau | Poor Academic Performance | Sniper | 17 | May | ||
21 | Alabo Enai | Male | Boat Driver | Bayelsa | Strained Relationship with Partner | Hanging | 29 | May | ||
22 | Samuel Iyanuohere Felabita | Male | Student | Kaduna | Not given | Acidic Substance | – | May | ||
23 | Uzakah Timi Ebiweni | Male | Student | Bayelsa | Poor Academic Performance | Drowned in River | – | May | ||
24 | Favour Ekemedili | Male | Student | Lagos | Not given | Sniper | – | May | ||
25 | Oluwaseyi Ishmael | Male | Businessman | Lagos | Inability to Pay House Rent | Not given | 45 | May | ||
26 | Kaivi Kayode | Female | Businessman | Lagos | Lost N7,000
She Made from Business |
Sniper | 22 | May | ||
27 | Seun Adedutan | Male | Pastor | Lagos | Not given | Sniper | – | May | ||
28 | Enifeh Omomo | Male | Not given | Lagos | Not given | Hanging | 42 | May | ||
Name | Gender | Occupation | State (where incident occurred) | Reason | Method | Age | Month | |||
29 | Omotola ‘Ola Brain’ | Male | Unemployed | Lagos | Frustration | Hanging | 27 | June | ||
30 | Oliver Osieme | Male | Truck Driver | Bayelsa | Not given | Hanging | 45 | June | ||
31 | Femi Oguntumi | Male | Teacher | Kano | Not given | Hanging | – | June | ||
32 | Samuel Elias | Male | Student | Enugu | Poor Academic Performance | Sniper | 25 | June | ||
33 | Johnson Onyilo | Male | NYSC Member | Oyo | Frustration | Not given | – | June | ||
34 | Christabel Omoye Owoiche | Female | Student | Edo | Strained Relationship with Partner | Sniper | – | June | ||
35 | Solomon Benedict | Male | Student | Kebbi | Finacial Problem | Sniper | 29 | June | ||
36 | Augustine Okpako | Male | Not given | Delta | Frustration | Fumigation Chemical | 20 | July | ||
37 | Not given | Male | Not given | Oyo | Not given | Jumped In front of Trailer | – | July | ||
38 | Joshua Uwaila | Male | Not given | Edo | Not given | Stabbed Self | – | July | ||
39 | Not given | Male | Not given | Osun | Not given | Jumped Into River | – | July | ||
40 | Nsisong Okon Etim | Male | Not given | Akwa Ibom | Frustration | Hanging | 27 | July | ||
41 | Ajisafe Adeola | Female | Student | Ogun | Poor Academic Performance | Sniper | – | July | ||
42 | Ogbunbanwo Emmanuel | Male | Student | Ogun | Poor Academic Performance | Not given | – | August | ||
43 | Seyi Onayemi | Male | Not given | Lagos | Not given | Sniper | 37 | August | ||
44 | Pastor Tunde | Male | Pastor | Ogun | Frustration | Sniper | – | August
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45 | Opeyemi Grace Dara | Female | Student | Osun | Poor Academic Performance | Sniper | – | August
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46 | Ibeakanma Onyechere | Male | Banker | Lagos | Not given | Sniper | 46 | August
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47 | Tobi Miles ‘Rodriguez’ | Male | Student | Abeokuta | Financial Problem | Sniper | – | August
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48 | Favour | Female | Student | Delta | Strained Relationship with Partner | Hanging | 14 | August
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49 | Olarewaju Pelepele | Male | Entertainer | Lagos | Frustrated | Not given | – | September
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50 | Sunday Meshioye | Male | Emplyed UNILAG Staff | Lagos | Not given | Sniper | – | September
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51 | Adenike Fatai | Female | Tailoring Apprentice | Lagos | Depression | Sniper | 25 | September
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52 | Papa Ebuka | Male | Tricylce (Keke) Rider | Bayelsa | Lost Bet9ja
Ticket |
Hanging | Middle-aged | September
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53 | Badamasi Musa | Male | Unemployed | Katsina | Mental illness | Hanging | 35 | September
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54 | Not given | Female | Not given | Jigawa | Not given | Hanging | – | September | ||
55 | Not given | Male | Not given | Imo | Depression | Hanging | 70s | October | ||
56 | Not given | Male | Police Inspector | Lagos | Frustration | Gun shot | – | October | ||
57 | Opeyemi Oluwafemi | Male | Not given | Ekiti | Frustration | Hanging | 17 | October | ||
58 | Aisha | Female | Not given | Zamfara | Inability of Fiance to marry her due to lack of money | Set self ablaze | – | October | ||
59 | Samson | Male | Unemployed | Not given | Unemployment | Not given | – | October | ||
60 | Paul Joseph | Male | Police Officer | Imo | Frustration | Gun shot | – | November | ||
61 | Mariah Abah | Female | Pupil | Benue | Not given | Hanging | 9 | November | ||
62 | Emmanuel Obiefuna | Male | Unemployed | Lagos | Frustration | Not given | 30 | November | ||
63 | Prince Digbani | Male | Student | Rivers | Frustration | Sniper | – | November | ||
64 | John Markus | Male | Police Officer | Abuja | Frustration | Gun shot | – | December | ||
65 | Joy Osain | Female | Fruit seller | Bayelsa | Strained relationship with partner | Sniper | 28 | December | ||