Director Hangs Self After Wife Gave Birth To Triplets

A Director in the Kogi State Civil Service , Mr Edward Soje has allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree in Lokoja , the state capital .

The News Agency of Nigeria gathered on Saturday in Lokoja that the dangling body of Soje was found on a tree behind the mammy market at the Maigumeri barracks , the Nigeria Army Command Record.

The 54 - year - old civil servant decided to take his life barely 10 days after his wife of 17 years gave birth to a set of male triplets in a private hospital in Abuja . The couple had been childless before then .

Soje, a Grade Level 16 Officer in the Kogi State Teaching Service Commission, was being owed 11 months ’ salary arrears as at the time he took his life .

He hailed from Ogori town in Ogori - Magongo Local Government area of the state .

He had before killing himself travelled to Abuja and left a suicide note for the wife who also works in one of the federal ministries .

“ Psalm 121 :3 God will not suffer your foot to be moved: He that keepeth you will not slumber . Amen . You and the three boys , the God Almighty will keep you and prosper you , amen . I love you , ” according to the suicide note .

Confirming the incident , the state police command Public Relations Officer , ASP William Aya said that the dangling body of Soje was found on a tree behind the barracks at about 5 :55 p. m on Oct . 16.

Aya said that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Area D Division received information about the incident from the military intelligence office in the barracks.

“ Police moved to the scene , removed the corpse to the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja . Investigation is still ongoing, ” Aya said .

The police spokesman said that nothing was found on the man to help trace his address and family .

However , a search party organised by his relations and friends, found his corpse at the morgue of the hospital on Friday, Oct . 20 .

Family sources said that Soje had before the incident been going through a lot of financial pressure due to non - payment of his salary for 11 months by the Kogi State Government .

He was among thousands of civil servants being owed between two and 21 months ’ salary arrears by the state government.

As a way out, he was said to have sold his only car and a three- bedroom bungalow he was building at Otokiti area of Lokoja .

The building which was at lintel level was sold by Soje at a giveaway price of N 1.5 million in April to meet urgent family needs, it was gathered.

According to the sources, Soje’ s financial woes became compounded when the wife gave birth to a set of triplets through Caesarian operation in a private hospital in Abuja on Oct . 7 .

The deceased remained in the hospital to look after wife and children until Oct . 13, a day before the naming ceremony when he decided to come back to Lokoja .

On getting to Lokoja , Soje went straight to his bank to collect the remaining N 30, 000 in his salary account with one of the commercial banks and thereafter informed the bank in writing about his decision to close the account .

He immediately left Lokoja for the hospital in Abuja where he rejoined his wife and handed over the N 30, 000 cash to her .

On Oct . 14, Soje and wife were joined by two pastors and few relatives to perform a brief naming ceremony for the triplets in the hospital .

He later left the hospital on the pretext that he wanted to pick few things from the wife ’ s apartment in Abuja with a promise to come back quickly .

But Soje did not return for hours and did not pick any of the many calls made to his telephone line, a development which forced the wife to send somebody to the house to go and ascertain what was happening to him .

The person , on getting to the apartment knocked the door severally but no response and decided to call his telephone number.

On hearing the telephone ringing out from the apartment, the person was said to have knocked severally again but no response , this made him to seek the assistance of neighbours to force the door open.

When the door was opened , the people were shocked when they saw Soje’ s telephone handset placed on a suicide note on the centre table in the sitting room while he was nowhere to be found .

When the wife was informed, she quickly contacted some people to begin a search for him in Abuja while relations and friends in Lokoja were also informed of the development .

Efforts made to locate him did not yield fruit until relations decided to visit hospitals in Lokoja , the decision paid off eventually on Friday , October 20 when the corpse of Soje was found in the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre , Lokoja .

A member of the family said that the management of the hospital explained to them that Soje’ s corpse was brought in by the police , who found it dangling on a tree .

A member of the family , who spoke on condition of anonymity , described the late Soje as a “ very quiet and lovable human being. “

He said that some members of the family have been sent to Abuja to break the news to the wife and refused to answer further questions.
NAN

http://punchng.com/director-commits-suicide-in-kogi/

Mm

That is serious, a whole director! If a director can commit suicide for not being paid for months, the governor should act fast to avoid mass suicide.
Yahaya Bello, pay Kogi civil servants and let Dino Melaye be. You have a lot to do than to be going after Dino Melaye.

This is so apathetic ! Workers in kogi and other States that are been owned ,don't deserve this cruelty from their governors.

Angelparadise:
This is so apathetic ! Workers in kogi and other States that are owning them don't deserve this cruelty by their governor.

Seconded ,infact Thirded and Infinited

Sounds like one of those that voted Buhari....RIP Mr Director

The death that killed an Alhaji will tear an almajirin to shreds. Beware zombies.

Lots of kogi civil servants would have passed away one way or another as a result of hardship experienced from non payment of salary

The only possible motive for his suicide is the scenario I'm painting below;

His wife gives birth to triplets and then he overhears her telling someone on phone that they are not his.


Ne'er trust these women.

Rip

omg

Ha!

dis one na serious wahala

And that heartless beast that calls himself YEHYEH BELLO thinks he will see peace...
that man is just so heartless,how can a human being be so wicked to the extent that he will a fellow human like him 11 good months salaries??were do you expect him to get money to live??..
civil servants are on strike,doctors are on strike,teachers are on strike,uni/poly lecturers are planning to go on strike,nothing is working in kogi and all he could say is that "the workers on strike are the enemies of the state"...
fadalawd what have we or our ancestors done wrong to deserve this stone hearted man wich happen to be there by chance...
well RIP sir...

Who should we Blame now?
A. Buhari
B. Gov bello
C. Apc

Virtually everyone in Nigeria has the spirit of cowardice ingrained deep in his/her marrow.... How can you owe a population of over 1000 people a salary of 11 months and not get any form of atrocious response whatsoever from them... What's wrong with us

My Father and Mother in-laws are just surviving by the grace of God. For the past 21 months, they have not gotten a dime as a salary.

Just this evening, my Father in-law ( a director) almost chopped his finger on the farm where he went to harvest some beans for dinner.

But he would have waited for the governor to leave. Just 4 years and he's gone.

Wait! The wife too should be receiving salaries to at least cushion the effects.

This is pathetic. RIP

aolawale025:
Lots of kogi civil servants would have passed away one way or another as a result of hardship experienced from non payment of salary

True talk bro

11months salary is bin owed workers and kogi is still standing... why God, why are Nigerians cowards. What happened to the culture of protest in this country... All things being normal all state workers for suppose come out enmass shut down the state with a protest... but they'd rather stay at home and take their problems to God in prayer

congrat to his deputy

Seriously!!!!!! Africa is a crazy continent..

It is wa

Nobody should mention Buhari here oo

Hold the governor responsible

Something Fishy

Buhari why

Bello won't pay salaries
Buying up properties and estates left right and centre
A very pathetic story
After 17 years no child sorry children, came
And I go and hang mysef
A director in kogi civil service
Unpaid for 11 months
Bello
Lord have mercy on u
Just feel for the poor wife and kids

Suicide is not an option! During 16yrs of PDP administration, civil servants never had it so bad as we experienced now! Buhari symbolizes calamity!
May God in heaven destroy APC & their entire zombies

What happen to the monthly allocation given to them, this is wickedness

.....and you want me to comment