8th November, 2010
A 47-year-old former driver, Adewale Adebanjo, has committed suicide in Lagos, Nigeria.
Adebanjo, who resided at 9, Adeleye Street, Off Agidingbi Road, Ikeja, Lagos was found dead in his room after he had his breakfast. Neighbours said the deceased always complain that he was unable to sleep every night.
P.M.NEWS investigations revealed that at about 11a.m. yesterday, he complained to his aged mother who lives opposite his one-room apartment that he was hungry and his mother prepared rice and stew which he ate and later left for his room.
But when his mother went to check him at about 12.20 p.m, he didn’t respond when she knocked at his door. She looked through the window and saw his body dangling from a rope tied to a ceiling fan.
The door was forced open by policemen from Alausa Division who were invited to the scene.
Commenting on the incident, the 22-year old son of the deceased, Sola, a bricklayer said: “I am very sad to find my father in this condition. He was a good father and very jovial. I saw him three weeks ago. My dad and mom are divorced but she has three children for him, including me.â€
Also speaking on the incident, the Chairman of the Agidingbi Community Development Association, Chief Musibau Bakare, who is also the Ajagunna of Agidingbi, Ikeja, said: “We heard this morning that he committed suicide. He lived in this house for 18 years. After eating his food which his mother prepared, he told her that he needed to take his drugs and he went straight to his room. And he was later found dead. He told people before he killed himself that he was unable to sleep at night, everyday.â€
P.M.NEWS learnt further that the deceased formerly worked as a driver to the former governor of the old Western region, General Adeyinka Adebayo (retd.). It was also gathered that he worked briefly with a lawyer but later resigned, saying that he could not see properly at night.
He did not leave any suicide note to explain why he took his life.
At the time of filing this report, arrangements were being made to take his corpse to the mortuary.
—Oluwole Adeboye