FRSC rescues civil servant who attempted suicide over unpaid salaries in Kogi
Man allegedly kills 82-year-old mum for ritual
AMAN who identified himself as Agada Okpanachi yesterday attempted suicide by hanging himself on a tree in Idah. Okpanchi, an employee of the Ministry of Agriculture in Kogi State, was rescued by the patrol team of FRSC who were informed by a commercial motorcyclist that saw him when he was trying to take his life
Acting on the report, the team immediately rushed to the location where they found Okpanachi in an unconscious state. The FRSC patrol team through the administering of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on the culprit was able to regain his consciousness.
It was gathered that during the CPR, the police were contacted and they met the FRSC team at the scene while administering the CPR.
After recovery, Okpanachi told newsmen and the police why he attempted suicide. He said: “The hardship is too much for me and I can’t cope, which is why I wanted to hang myself. For the past two years, I have not received a kobo after wasting all my money going to Lokoja for screening,” he said.
There have been similar incident of suicides in the state by civil servants. In Oc- tober last year, a top civil servant, Edward Soje, committed suicide in Kogi over non-payment of salaries.
Soje, a director with the Kogi State civil service, committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree, in the capital, Lokoja. His lifeless body was found hanging on a tree close to the Maigumeri barracks of the Nigeria Army.
The 54-year-old took his life some 10 days after his wife of 17 years gave birth to a set of male triplets in a private hospital in Abuja. The couple had been childless prior to the incident. Soje, a grade level 16 officer with the state teaching service commission, was at the time of his demise being owed 11 months’ salary arrears.
Barely a month after the incident, in November 2017, another civil servant, a 47-year-old Abdullahi Uye Zhiya from Oguma in Bassa Local Government Area of the state also took his own life.
Zhiya was said to have terminated his own life due to frustrations he encountered as a result of non-payment of 12 months’ salaries owed him. He was said to have killed himself by drinking a liquid substance suspected to be poisonous chemical.
Zhiya, the chief store officer at the state Universal Basic Education, Oguma, was said to have complained bitterly to a friend over his inability to feed his family members.
Meanwhile, there was tension at Nando in Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State, following the alleged killing of an 82-year-old widow by her son. Police have tightened security to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
The deceased, Roseline Okadigbo, was allegedly killed by her 52-year-old son, Christopher Okadigbo, for alleged ritual. Two suspects, Christopher and his friend, Ameke Udolu, have been arrested by the police.
It was gathered that the deceased’s left eye and heart were allegedly removed. Chief Innocent Okadigbo, the deceased’s eldest son, alleged that he suspected his younger brother wanted to use the body parts for ritual. He alleged his mother told him on May 1 about the suspicious movement by Christopher and Udolu around her home.