By Christopher Oji





A man believed to be in his early 20s Wednesday afternoon, set himself ablaze in the Omole Phase 1 area of Ojodu, Lagos.

The man, whose identity has not be confirmed, was said to had armed himself with a gallon of petrol and lighter and started narrating how Nigerians were going through hardship.

A witness, Ben Chinedu, told Daily Sun that: “I was Gate when I saw a crowd and I stopped to make enquiries. I saw a young man in his 20s; he was armed with a gallon of fuel.

He was shouting on top of his voice saying that he was tired of life. He narrated how he had been running from one person to other for assistance and everyone was saying things were difficult. He told people who cared to listen that the country was under a spell that cannot be cleansed.

“He said there was no hope and future for the youth, he could no longer bear the ‘suffering-and-smiling’ syndrome and pretence showed by most people. He threatened to kill himself, but people thought he was making empty threats.

He poured the liquid on his body and brought out a lighter. He ignited fire on his body and he was burning. We started pouring water on him, but the fire had done enough damage before we put it out. We called the police who came to the scene and picked the man who was unconscious by then. We don’t know the man and where he came from.”

Police public relations officer, CSP Chike Oti, who confirmed the story, said the man was being treated at the Lagos State Emergency Centre, 7-Up area.

Oti said: “Divisional Police Officer, Ojodu, received a distress call that a man set himself ablaze and raced to the scene with some officers. When the police arrived, they put out the fire and rushed the man to the Lagos State Emergency Centre, where he is being treated.

The man is still unconscious as he received third-degree burns. He is still unconscious as I am talking to you, but the Commissioner of Police has directed the DPO in charge of Ojodu to take the man who attempted suicide to the hospital.

“it is a suicide attempt as people saw him set himself ablaze. It was not the usual jungle justice by a mob.

“He was the person who planned how to kill himself. The CP has ordered the DPO to investigate and find out who the man is and why he decided to take his life in a most agonising manner. We also call on members of the public who are looking for their missing relations to contact the Ojodu Police Station of the PPRO’s office to ascertain who the man is.”

Movic1:
Suicide is a cowards way of quitting.

LexngtonSteele:


Everyone has a threshold beyond which they break.

Some it's as "little" as a lover cheating on them...others failing JAMB.

These might sound ridiculous or petty but it's hard to wear their shoes.

Lets just offer our sympathies and move on.

PS - RIP to the guy, if only he had held on, maybe his breakthrough was just around the corner

Movic1:


Alright but the guy is Not Dead. He's still alive but unconscious..

Movic1:
Suicide is a cowards way of quitting. He didn't pass his message well. He should have wrapped Nigeria flag to his body.

After voting buhari you wan run leave us. lol, the people around be like you going no where we go suffer dz suffer 2geda . Dm pour am Holy water

Taich:
I rather kill myself then to set myself ablaze. They should have allowed him to die, who is going to be taking care of him now? who will pay his hospital bills? If he is treated OK, what is he going to be doing once he is discharged from hospital??
What is wrong with the black man
We are black in thinking, action and planning.
We excel in wickedness and every other dark vices we can think of.