A 48-year-old Ondo state indigene, Abdulrazak Wasiu, committed suicide by hanging himself at their Gado Nasko residence in Kubwa, Federal Capital Territory, for allegedly not being able to make money to buy ram for slaughtering during the Sallh today and inability to provide enough for his family to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir.
Wasiu, who has six children was reported to have retired to bed hale and hearty late yesterday night, but was found dangling from his bedroom ceiling fan at about 7 a.m today.
His wife, Mrs. Rekiya Wasiu, told newsmen that her attention was drawn to the body of her husband which hung from the ceiling of their room by their 4-year-old son.
“I slept in the children’s room last night because my first child was ill and it was too late to take her to the hospital, since we all believed she would get better after some self-medications.
“I told my husband to go to bed that I will join him, only for me to have slept off in the children’s room.
“Earlier yesterday, my husband had complained bitterly that we may not be able to celebrate the ‘Ileya’ in a grand style as we intended. I told him all will be well, that a miracle could happen before morning. All through yesterday, he was moody,” she sobbed.
“A neighbour called me at about 5 p.m yesterday to say that he saw my husband at abattoir, where they sell rams and cows. He said my husband was probably negotiating to buy one. He said he later saw him sitting on the floor with his hand on his chin. I called my husband to please come back home but he said if he didn’t buy the biggest ram, he would rather kill himself. I thought it was just a joke. He however, came home much later empty handed and we laughed over everything.”
The woman lamented, saying that she did not know what to do next, asking: “where do I start from? How can I bear the shame that my husband killed himself because he couldn’t provide Sallah for his family? What kind of life is this?”
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Kubwa Police station, Chief Superintendent Nurudeen Sabo , confirmed the incident and said: “wonders shall never end.”
She said, “We are Muslims and we don’t keep dead bodies for too long. I have contacted our kinsmen in the resident and they are on their way.
As at press time, however, the kinsmen were yet to arrive the scene. The corpse was wrapped with white linen in a mat and deposited at the balcony. [myad]
