AUTO parts dealer and father of four, Chinedu Ogwa has committed suicide in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, for perceived failure to succeed in his business.
Ogwa, 45, who hailed from Ebonyi state, was found dead at his Diobu, Port Harcourt residence Thursday night after allegedly consuming poison. Chidinma Ogwa, his wife, said the late husband had opened up to her Monday about how he resisted and fought back initial thoughts of taking his own life following what he considered to be his failure in his auto spare parts business at Ikoku, Port Harcourt and poor relationship with some unnamed persons.
He told his wife of some frustrations he faced. Chidinma narrated that, “My husband returned home Monday, saw me washing and started laughing. I asked why he was laughing and he said I didn’t even know what he attempted doing that day. I asked him what he tried to do?
“He said he wanted to drink rat poison. I asked for what? He said he was frustrated. He said debtors were not willing to pay him and he was also owing. He said that his business was not growing and people were leveling allegations that he did certain things he didn’t do.
“He said he was holding the rat poison in his hands to drink it when the thought came that if he killed himself, people were going to laugh at me, the wife and himself. He said that he thereafter discarded the thought and put everything in hands of God.
“I told him that was exactly what he needed to do rather than thinking of taking his life. I told him everybody had problem and taking his life was no solution and that he should trust in God. He assured me that I should not worry, that everything would soon be okay.”
Thursday night, Chidinma and her children returned from church service to find her husband lying lifeless in the house, messed self up, and foaming from the mouth.
“He left a note telling me and my children to forgive him. That he’s been in the business for 15 years but nothing to show for it. That my younger brother should sell everything in his shop within three months to pay those he owed and listed those holding back his money”, the wife further narrated. Chidinma, joined by neighbors reported the matter at the Mile 3 Police Station where they were advised to take the corpse to a mortuary.
The State Police Command is however yet to offer an official statement on the matter..
VANGUARD
