42-year-old man commits suicide in Bayelsa

A 42-year-old man, Mr Gbemede Kitchen on Thursday committed suicide in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State, over what many believed was connected with the backlog of salaries his local government was owing staff.

It was gathered that Kitchen, civil Servant in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state used folded bed spread formed into a rope to hang himself in his apartment at Imgbi road, Amarata, Yenagoa.

Kitchen, Father of seven children, who was found dangling on a suspended improvised rope tied to the roof at about 1pm on Thursday, died several hours earlier.

Mr Benjamin Samuel, the caretaker of the building the deceased lived in, said that the victim’s death was shocking, explaining that there was no indication of anxiety by the victim before the incident.

“We charged mobile phones together in the night of Wednesday; Mr Kitchen’s children were around last night, but the wife was not around.

“Though, I saw him making calls before and after charging his phone in search of his wife before the night fall, the wife was nowhere to be found.

“I am their caretaker, it was a big surprise and shock to me; I never believed that my own neighbour could be a victim of a suicide.

“I was sleeping when his children and other neighbours started shouting this morning, Thursday; they woke me up and I rushed to his apartment.

“He died in a room that the children were not sleeping; I was the one that untied and brought him down; I tried to see if he can breathe again, I pressed and poured water on him but all to no avail,” the caretaker said.

Also speaking, Kitchen’s elder sister who refused to disclose her name said he had never disclosed any of his burdens to family members.

The Sister said the victim was a former councillor in his local government area, stating that she was surprised to see her own hear about his suicide act.

“Mr Kitchen was a staff member of Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa; though, the salary was not forth coming but I guess, he died out of frustration and hunger,” she said.