Determined to die

A man who had a date with death finally got his wish last Sunday even after he was persuaded to come down from an electric pole the previous day. The earlier incident occurred at Olaitan Street, off Masha, Surulere, Lagos. The man simply identified as Afeez, had earlier attempted to kill himself by climbing the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) high tension pole on Saturday.

Sympathisers and neighbours pleaded with him to have a rethink. Afeez, who eventually came down from the high tension pole, got more than what he bargained for, as, those who were initially pleading with the man pounced on him and beat him black and blue while venting their anger for trying to kill himself.

He allegedly told those reprimanding him that he made a mistake by listening to their plea, vowing that he must kill himself. Some of his friends followed him home, still pleading that he should tell them what was bothering him or who offended him but he kept mum.

On Sunday morning, some neighbors who expected to see him as he was always the first to wake up in the compound became apprehensive when they did not see him. They were said to have forced the door open, only to see Afeez lying stone dead in his one room apartment. He had committed suicide in the night.