A
66-year-old man, Mr. John Ekue, has committed suicide in the Mende area of
Maryland, Lagos State.
It was learnt that Ekue
used a rope to hang himself by the rod of a ceiling fan in his apartment on Oki
Lane around 8pm on Monday.
It
was learnt that the victim, who worked as a driver for a paint company in Lagos
State, killed himself over the failure of the company to pay his
five-month salaries.
It
was gathered that the victim had been facing tough times since April 2016, when
he stopped going to the company, whose name was not disclosed by his family
members.
The
deceased, who earned N30,000 per month, reportedly became frustrated when
feeding became difficult for him.
It
was gathered that his only son, identified simply as IK, a salesman, had been
supporting him with his meagre wages.
A
resident, Simon Davies, said on Tuesday during a visit to the area that IK had
gone to buy food for the father when the incident happened.
He
said, “His son had gone to buy food for him that evening. But when he returned,
he saw his father’s body dangling from a rope and he raised the alarm. People
went into the room to help rush him to a hospital, but he died.
“The
main cause of the incident is the non-payment of his salaries by a paint
company he worked for as a driver. I learnt he earned N30,000 monthly and the
company owed him five months’ salaries. He stopped going there in April when
the arrears were not paid. Since then, his son had been feeding him with the
little he earns at a boutique where he works.”
Another
resident, who identified herself simply as Ruth, said the death of Ekue’s wife
two years ago compounded his frustration.
“He
had been lonely since he stopped going to work. His only son, who should have
been with him, had to run around to provide food for him. Aside that, his wife
died about two years ago which really shook him. I was shocked when I heard he
committed suicide yesterday (Monday),” she added.
A
resident, Gafar Kolawole, said the police from the Anthony division came to
remove the corpse and had deposited it in a mortuary.
However,
one of them, who did not give his name, said, “The police came and took
an account of what happened. They should be in a position to tell you. This is
sad news and you should not disturb us with questions, especially his
son. You can rely on the information you got from people who are aware of
the incident.”
The
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the
suicide, adding that Ekue’s corpse had been deposited in a morgue for autopsy.
She
said, “One John Ekue allegedly hanged himself with a rope tied to the ceiling
fan in his room. Detectives visited, examined and photographed the scene. The
corpse was removed and deposited in a morgue for autopsy.”
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Society