Suicide Rate Explodes in Lagos: Student, Policemen, others End Lives with Sniper

Patience Ogbo/

A student of the Lagos State Polytechnic today increased the statistics of not less than four persons who committed suicide in Lagos this week using Sniper Insecticide and other means.

NewsmakersNG investigations reveal that the casualty figure included allegedly depressed policemen and civilians.

The police spokesman in Lagos, DSP Bala Elkana, reveals in a statement today that detectives at Shagamu Road Police Station are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of one Joseph Mayowa, a 34-year-old student at the Department of Hospitality Management Technology of LASPOTECH, Ikorodu Campus, who drank a poisonous chemical identified as Sniper following alleged misunderstanding with his girlfriend named as Olokodana Bolaji, 24. She was identified by the police as a graduate of the Institution.

Earlier in the week, a police sergeant at Oke-Odo Divisional Headquarters, who was fondly called Papa, according to a source at the station, also swallowed sniper and died at the station, while another unidentified officer allegedly shot himself to death at Meiran Divisional Headquarters.

According to Elkana, Mayowa was rushed to hospital by his neighbours following an alarm raised by his girlfriend, but he eventually died.

“In the statement of his girlfriend, she told Police investigators that she and the deceased dated for nine years; that the deceased was fond of beating her; that while she was with the deceased in his room, they had a quarrel and he, as usual, resorted into physical violence; that she ran into the restroom and upon return she found him gasping for breath with an empty bottle of sniper beside him,” Elkana stated.

He added that homicide detectives from the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Department (SCIID), Yaba, had visited the scene at Eyita area, Ikorodu, and Mayowa’s corpse had been deposited at the General Hospital mortuary for autopsy while the girlfriend was invited for questioning.

“Investigation is ongoing to determine whether it was actually a suicide case or murder,” Elkana stated.

 A resident of Ijanikin community in Lagos also told NewsmakersNG of a 7-year-old hawker who committed suicide in the area, after thieves stole N7000 from her.

Sniper Insecticide marketed by Swiss-Nigeria Chemical Company and known as a very effective substance to exterminate all kinds of insects has now become the favourite suicide weapon in the hands of many Nigerians who wanted to end their lives.   

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