Man commits suicide after getting drunk in Lagos

A 48-year-old man, Mr. Akeem Abolaji Ajiyigbe, has hanged himself in his home in the early hours of Sunday, April 19, after taking some alcoholic substance. The incident happened at No. 59, Irepodun Avenue, Ijeshatedo area of Surulere, Lagos State.

The elder brother of the deceased, Mr. Wasiu Ajiyigbe, said: “We have been warning him to stop drinking, but he didn’t heed our advice. Akeem was a former NEPA worker. He started drinking after the death of his wife in 1998”.

The deceased was said to be living alone with his three children at his grandmother’s place in Lawanson.

A friend and a neighbour of the deceased, Mr. Kamil Ismaeldeen, in a chat with The Guardian, said: “I saw him when I was going to mosque this morning (Sunday). We greeted each other, I was amazed when I heard that he has hanged himself. Akeem was a kind person and a good friend, and I have been telling him to stop drinking but he won’t listen”.

Another eyewitness who pleaded for anonymity said: “Akeem is a nice man but once he gets drunk, he starts making trouble and disturbing everyone in the street. He has been shouting for over three days now that he wanted to kill himself. On Saturday night, he attempted to jump into a fire we are using for vigilante. But what people have been saying is that he killed himself because of hunger since he is a daily income earner.”

It was also reported that a man in Apo Resettlement area of Abuja last Thursday hanged himself after a failed suicide attempt the day earlier. It was gathered that last Wednesday, he crashed his vehicle into a mosque gate following the death of his wife and baby, who didn’t make it out of the delivery room on Wednesday.

Also, in Nasarawa State, deeply saddened to find out that his only child was not actually his son, a man killed himself.