Burial expenses push father of eight to suicide

A 60-YEAR-OLD man, identified as Akanni Timothy (popularly known as Marshal), yesterday, committed suicide in Ojugunuko, Oke-Ijemo area of Ogun State capital Abeokuta.

The deceased, according to sources in his neighbourhood, hanged himself in the early hours apparently for his financial inability to give his late father a befitting burial.

Incidentally, the final burial ceremony of Timothy’s late father was Saturday (yesterday) when he took his own life.

Marshal, a polygamist, was survived by three wives and eight children.

The Nigerian Compass on Sunday gathered that passers-bye, who sighted the man’s lifeless body dangling on an orange tree raised the alarm, which attracted some residents of the area.

Before the incident, the deceased was said to have engaged the services of a disc jockey to entertain his guests at his father’s burial ceremony.

Following the suicide, the burial ceremony, it was learnt, had been postponed indefinitely.

Some sympathisers at the late Timothy’s residence, however, argued that the circumstances surrounding his death suggested that it had a spiritual undertone.

A brother of the deceased, who identified himself as Mutiu, claimed that Timothy had no financial means to give their late father a befitting burial.

“I told Baba Sadiat (the deceased) to join me under my tent, if he doesn’t have the means to entertain his guests. I did not know that he will kill himself. For what?,” he added.

Policemen attached to Ijemo Divisional Police Station, Abeokuta were said to have allowed the family to remove the dangling body of the deceased.

As at press time yesterday, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, could not be reached for comment on the incident.