67-Year-Old Man Commits Suicide Over Inability To Arrange Befitting Burial For Father

A sixty-year-old man, Mr. Akanni Timothy, committed suicide in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, in the early hours of Saturday.

Timothy popularly called “Marshal” was found hanging on an orange tree in Ojugunuko, Oke-Ijemo area of Abeokuta over what eyewitnesses described as his inability to raise enough funds that would enable him to give his late father a befitting burial.

A resident of the area, who pleaded anonymity, said passersbys who saw Timothy’s lifeless body dangling on the tree raised the alarm which attracted other residents.

The resident said the deceased who was making preparations for the final burial ceremony of his father scheduled for Saturday (yesterday) had already hired a disc jockey to entertain guests during the ceremony.

The development resulted in the indefinite postponement of the burial ceremony.
A sibling of the deceased, Mutiu, told newsmen that his late brother took his life probably because he lacked the financial means to give their late father a befitting burial.

“I told Baba Sadiat (the deceased) to join me under my tent if he knew that he did not have the means to entertain his guests. I did not know that he would kill himself. I don’t understand why he killed himself,” Mutiu said.

Policemen from the Ijemo Divisional Police station who were at the scene of the incident told the family to bring down the corpse of the deceased from the tree.
The deceased had three wives and eight children.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, could not be reached on his mobile phone to confirm the incident as his phone was switched off.
He also did reply text messages sent to his phone.