Graduate stabs self to death in Lagos

Culled from Punch:

Residents of Wole Madariola Street, Aguda, Surulere, Lagos have been asking questions about what pushed Chidike Oyeka, a graduate of Madonna University, Anambra, to stab himself repeatedly thereby taking his own life.

It was learnt that the Chidike on April 19, 2013, took a kitchen knife and stabbed himself repeatedly until his intestines were disembowelled.

Our correspondent, who visited his parents’ home where the incident occurred, learnt that the victim recently concluded his National Youth Service Corps programme.

A relative, who wished to remain anonymous, said the 25-year-old had been depressed for some time.

She said, “He did his NYSC in Delta State and only returned in February. Upon returning, he started to act strangely and we noticed that he was no longer sociable. Most times he would sit at a corner by himself and when we asked him what was wrong, he would say he was not happy.

“When the symptom became persistent, his parents took him to a hospital but nothing was discovered to be wrong with him, so we took him back home and continued to monitor him.”

Narrating what transpired on the day the victim died, the relative said it happened after everyone had gone to sleep.

She said he went into the kitchen, took a kitchen knife and stabbed himself three times.

She said, “I do not know the time it happened exactly but everyone had gone to bed while he stayed in the parlour. Around midnight, he was found lying in a pool of blood and the knife soaked in blood.

“His intestines were on the floor as well. From what we deduced, he stabbed himself three times without screaming because no one heard any noise. At daybreak, we went to Aguda Police Station to report the matter.”

A neighbour, who craved anonymity, said the deceased had once complained that one of the reasons why he was unhappy wasthat he was unemployed.

He said people advised him to be patient since he had only just completed his NYSC.

Our correspondent, who visited the parents’ home on Sunday, saw residents coming in droves to console the family particularly the victim’s mother.

Another resident, while consoling the deceased’s parents, said the family should have taken him to see a psychologist instead of a general medical practitioner when he complained of depression.

Mrs. Oyeka however said the circumstance surrounding her son’s death was metaphysical. She said she had left the matter to God but was pained that all her struggles to bring up her son were in vain.

“He was my first born and we did all to make him happy but sadly he took his own life. We counseled him on numerous occasions but this did not prevent him from committing suicide.

“I do not think someone can stab himself to death except he is under spell. I leave everything to God because He knows best.”

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the deceased would be buried on Thursday.

When contacted on the telephone, the acting spokesperson for the state police command, Damascus Ozoani, said the matter could not yet be classified as suicide until autopsy was concluded.

“Although the family claimed he killed himself, the police will have to do their own independent investigation to ascertain what really happened. We will wait for the outcome of the autopsy and this will determine our next line of action,” he said