Oh Dear! Okadaman commits suicide after failing to meet family needs

Monday Onoja, a frustrated commercial motorcycle operator, popularly called 'Okadaman', has taken the easy way by committing suicide in the Ijebu Igbo area of Ogun State, after he found it difficult providing for his family.

Punch reports that the 45-year-old Onoja, an indigene of Benue State, who had been incapacitated after an accident, was said to be dependent on his wife and when he could no longer bear the situation, hung himself inside his room at his residence on Ogunnaya Street, Ojowo, Ijebu-Igbo.

It was gathered that the father of five, had earlier expressed his dissatisfaction with his life the previous day and threatened to kill himself but his wife, Esther, and a relative did all they could to dissuade him from carrying out the threat, not knowing that their efforts were just temporary as they woke up the next morning to find that he had carried out his threat.

The bereaved wife, narrating the calamity that has befallen her, said:

“We have been married for the past 15 years and we had five children together. While he was a commercial okada rider, I am into trading. He was on his motorcycle on May 3, 2016, when he was involved in an accident.

He broke his leg. Since that time, he had been staying at home and we had been managing the little I could provide for the family.

Although he had yet to fully recover to start working again, he had started using crutches. “On Monday night, he said he didn’t want to eat rice, that he wanted something else. Later, he threatened that he would kill himself.

I begged him not to, but he shunned me. I called one of his brothers, who also came to talk to him. But he said he would sell his motorcycle and return to the village.

The next morning, I was bathing our child when one of the other children came to call me that their father was dangling from the ceiling. I ran there and met him dead.”

The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident, adding that the police did not suspect any foul play.