A 42-year-old Artisan was reported to have committed suicide on Monday night in Erigo, a suburb of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun , over a N750,000 debt.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the self-employed Artisan and father of two, hanged himself in his residence on Monday night when his wife and children had yet to return home.
It was also gathered that the deceased’s several attempts to kill himself were aborted because people quickly intervened.
A NAN Correspondent, who visited the late Artisan’s residence, located at Odutola Ogunleye Area in Erigo, reported that hundreds of sympathisers were seen in circles in front of his house, discussing the tragedy.
The deceased was said to have taken the loan from one of the new generation banks in Ijebu-Ode, where his wife worked before her sack.
NAN also learnt that it was the shame of his inability to repay the loan, which he used to complete his house, that moved him to commit suicide.
His relative, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, said that the deceased, who was a glass cutter, left home with his family on Monday morning to his shop.
The late craftsman was said to have later returned to his house to take his life.
The relative explained that it was when the wife returned home from her shop in the night that she found the body of her husband dangling from the rope.
”It was a terrible and unfortunate experience. He went to drop his wife and his two children in her shop with a promise to come and pick them later.
”He also went to his shop at Degun in Ijebu-Ode, but later came back home in the evening to hang himself.
”It was when the wife returned from her shop that she found the deceased body hanged, which made her to alert the people. ”
The relative said the Glass Cutter’s mother had come to stay with him so as to monitor his movements due to several attempts by the deceased to commit suicide.
The deceased’s relative further explained that it was on the said Monday when the deceased’s mother left for her place of abode that he eventually killed himself.
Some sympathisers, who expressed surprise at the artisan’s death, described him as an easy going person who would not contemplate taking his life.
As at the time of filling this report, the body was still hanging on the rope. It was learnt that a ritual needed to be performed before the body could be released for burial.
A police officer at Atan Police Divisional Headquarters in Ijebu-North-East, who spoke with NAN and declined to be mentioned, said the police had been informed about the incident.
The officer said that investigations had commenced on the matter.
He said the police wanted the deceased’s family to perform the rituals they requested for before the corpse could be released.
”We were duly informed and we have been there but the family requested that they would us to allow them to perform rituals before lowering the body, and we have allowed them to do that.
”But we have warned them not to touch the body and to call us immediately after the rituals to get the body for necessary investigation.” (NAN)