Okada rider commits suicide in Ibadan over multiple debts

Residents of Gangansi area of Ibadan, Oyo State capital, were left in shock yesterday over a suicide allegedly committed by a commercial motorcyclist simply identified as Abass in his brother’s house.

The sad event, which occurred on Wednesday night, threw the community into tragedy as they were still discussing what might have led the man they described as “gentle and easy going” to have committed suicide.

Some residents claimed they saw the deceased few hours before he took his life. The deceased dropped a note that he had to take his life because of multiple debts he owed many people.

An eyewitness, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Abass was a gentleman and a commercial motorcyclist. “He has children, both male and female, but his wife is not currently with him. He is in his early 50s. He was living here with us, and this house was built by his brother.

“All we know was that he came back home hale and healthy on Wednesday evening, but suddenly someone shouted when he saw him dangling from the ceiling of the house. It was the person that alerted us to the ugly incident.

“On getting there we saw him up there, but we noticed one small paper beside him. We took it up and saw that he left a note where he wrote that he intentionally committed suicide because of too much debts he was owing people”, the man explained.

The landlords in the area were not willing to talk to the newsmen as they directed that the police should be contacted. As at 9:30a.m. yesterday, the lifeless body was still hanging on the ceiling but nobody was allowed to enter the building.

Some elders were seen having a meeting with some traditional herbalists who were demanding sacrificial materials to appease some gods before the dangling body could be brought down for burial.

The Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Adekunle Ajisebutu (SP) was contacted for confirmation of the incident, but he did not respond to phone calls and text messages sent to his phone.