Man Jumps Into River Over Alleged Economic Hardship

,,,The Kogi Police Command has confirmed the case of suicide by a yet-to-be-identified man, who allegedly jumped into a river in Lokoja.

The Command’s Public relations officer, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, who confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria, said it happened between 12.30 p.m. and 1p.m.

Ovye-Aya said that a Divisional Police Officer led a search team to the Meme Bridge on Ganaka-Ajaokuta Road, where the victim was said to have jumped into the river.

“Our men found the man’s slippers but his corpse is not yet visible, which calls for thorough search for the recovery of his remain.

“As it stands, the man’s identity is not yet known since none of his family members has shown up to lay a complaint.

“We are only working on a report about the incident by some good Samaritans,” the PPRO said.

He said that there were two versions of the suicide report with some claiming he left his tricycle on the bridge and jumped into the river. According to him, another version claimed that he dropped from another person’s tricycle and jumped in.

Ovye-Aya further said that “if the deceased was a tricycle rider, the tricycle would have been seen parked on the bridge.

He described the incident as “very unfortunate” and “rash”, saying that said “what is important to the police is finding the man’s corpse. He advised residents of the state to refrain from such rash decisions, in spite of the current economic difficulties. “God can change one’s condition for better at anytime,” the PPRO.

An eyewitness, who spoke to newsmen on the condition of anonymity, said: “I am very surprised that a person can decide to take his own life because of hardship.

“When he jumped into the river we wanted to rescue him but when we saw a snake moving around we got afraid and rushed to inform the police.”