Ex-council secretary commits suicide, blames tough economy

A former Secretary of Mbiabong Village Council in the Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Ekanem Edet, aka Jolly Boy, has committed suicide.

His friend and neighbour, Okon Effiong, told PUNCH Metro that the community woke up to discover Edet’s corpse dangling on a suspended rope from the roof of his apartment.

He said a note Edet left behind before taking his life attributed his action to Nigeria’s harsh economy.

He added that the deceased, who was married with two sons, had often complained about the poor state of the economy.

He said, “Jolly Boy, who deals in Ogogoro, cigarettes, and other stimulants, decided to cut short his own life when it appeared he could no longer run his small family with the meagre earnings from his trade.

“He was a very sociable man and always shared his thoughts on issues. I don’t know why he should consider suicide as the last option to escape from these hard times.”

He explained that Edet, who was immediately buried after some traditional rites, was discovered dead by another friend, who came to visit him on the day of the incident.

A teacher in the community, Mfonobong Ekpe, said, “He used to complain that his petty business could no longer cater to his family’s basic needs and he could not afford the school fees of his children.”

Asuquo Bassey, a pastor at his local church, said, “He was always saying the bad economic policies of the government did not allow the common people to afford basic commodities like bread, yam and kerosene.”

A source in the community said the victim’s family members were reluctant to call the police when they discovered the incident.

He said, “The family members were not willing to report the incident to thepolice in the area.

“When they discovered the man’s lifeless body, they just wanted him buried and put everything behind them.”

Attempts to speak with the state Police Public Relations Officer, Cordelia Nwawe, proved abortive, as her phone rang out. She had yet to reply to a text message sent to her telephone line as of press time.