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.
PUNCH Metro 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 was that 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
SOURCE: PUNCH
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