Graduate stabs self to death in Lagos

Residents of Wole Madariola Street, Aguda, Surulere, Lagos have been asking questions about what pushed Chidike Oyeka, a graduate of Madonna University, Anambra, to stab himself repeatedly thereby taking his own life.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the Chidike on April 19, 2013, took a kitchen knife and stabbed himself repeatedly until his intestines were disembowelled.

Our correspondent, who visited his parents’ home where the incident occurred, learnt that the victim recently concluded his National Youth Service Corps programme.

A relative, who wished to remain anonymous, said the 25-year-old had been depressed for some time.

She said, “He did his NYSC in Delta State and only returned in February. Upon returning, he started to act strangely and we noticed that he was no longer sociable. Most times he would sit at a corner by himself and when we asked him what was wrong, he would say he was not happy.

“When the symptom became persistent, his parents took him to a hospital but nothing was discovered to be wrong with him, so we took him back home and continued to monitor him.”

Narrating what transpired on the day the victim died, the relative said it happened after everyone had gone to sleep.

She said he went into the kitchen, took a kitchen knife and stabbed himself three times.

She said, “I do not know the time it happened exactly but everyone had gone to bed while he stayed in the parlour. Around midnight, he was found lying in a pool of blood and the knife soaked in blood.

“His intestines were on the floor as well. From what we deduced, he stabbed himself three times without screaming because no one heard any noise. At daybreak, we went to Aguda Police Station to report the matter.”

A neighbour, who craved anonymity, said the deceased had once complained that one of the reasons why he was unhappy wasthat he was unemployed.

He said people advised him to be patient since he had only just completed his NYSC.

Our correspondent, who visited the parents’ home on Sunday, saw residents coming in droves to console the family particularly the victim’s mother.

Another resident, while consoling the deceased’s parents, said the family should have taken him to see a psychologist instead of a general medical practitioner when he complained of depression.

Mrs. Oyeka however said the circumstance surrounding her son’s death was metaphysical. She said she had left the matter to God but was pained that all her struggles to bring up her son were in vain.

“He was my first born and we did all to make him happy but sadly he took his own life. We counseled him on numerous occasions but this did not prevent him from committing suicide.

“I do not think someone can stab himself to death except he is under spell. I leave everything to God because He knows best.”

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the deceased would be buried on Thursday.

When contacted on the telephone, the acting spokesperson for the state police command, Damascus Ozoani, said the matter could not yet be classified as suicide until autopsy was concluded.

“Although the family claimed he killed himself, the police will have to do their own independent investigation to ascertain what really happened. We will wait for the outcome of the autopsy and this will determine our next line of action,” he said

CBN to change polymer naira notes to paper

The Central Bank of Nigeria has stopped the printing of small denomination naira notes in polymer because they fade quickly.

The Deputy Governor,  CBN, Mr. Tunde Lemo, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Washington on the sidelines of the ongoing Spring Meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

He said, “By the middle of the year, we will start to produce the second generation of lower denomination notes, now in paper and not in polymer.”

“My plea is that Nigerians should exercise patience; it wasn’t the fault of the CBN; it was just because we had to go back to the drawing board to rethink the ‘Project Cure’ in the light of the wish of the public that we should not go ahead with the N5,000 notes and lower denominations.

“We will correct that in the course of the year. Polymer certainly will be phased out. In fact, we are phasing out polymer.  No new note is being printed in polymer now.”

Lemo told NAN that when the CBN was going to introduce the polymer currencies, its search showed that they could last longer than ordinary paper notes.

He said, “However, with the benefit of hindsight, we probably should not have dumped polymer because, yes, the substrate lasts longer, but the in-consubstrate began to fade; we didn’t realise that at the time of introduction.

“So, part of ‘Project Cure’ was actually to move away from polymer substrate to paper; unfortunately, we had a push-back because of the issues around N5,000 note and coins.

“The entire programme was put in abeyance; otherwise by now, we should have stopped producing polymer.’’

Lemo said the CBN had awarded a contract for the printing of the higher denomination notes to a foreign company because of low capacity at the Nigerian Printing and Minting Company.

He said the bank would begin to receive the fresh notes from June.

On the campaign for careful handling of the naira, Lemo said that it was unfortunate that it was not successful, but noted that it was a criminal act to abuse the naira going by the CBN Act.

The deputy governor said, “Unfortunately, CBN is not a law enforcement institution; we left that in the hands of the law enforcement institutions and that has not kicked in.

“I still go to parties and see people spraying money, stepping on money, I see touts distributing mint-fresh money that should go to customers.’’

Lemo also told NAN that the CBN had talked to the police to step up surveillance to reduce their abuse of the naira, adding that the bank had no right to arrest people who sold the currency on the streets.

He said the act of abuse and sale of the naira by touts had defeated the clean note policy of the bank, but assured that efforts were being made to tackle the problem.

Bamigbetan: Kidnapper jumps to death

One of the kidnappers of the Chairman, Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Kehinde Bamigbetan, jumped to his death at a hotel along Old Ojo road, Agboju, Lagos.

Although Bamigbetan was set free by his abductors on Saturday night, five days after he was kidnapped, it was learnt that police pressure could be part of the reasons he was released.

The LCDA boss returned to his house at about 10.45pm, an hour after he was released by his abductors on Saturday.

But our correspondent gathered that the police had been on the trail of the suspects and had actually made some arrests.

They were about to arrest one of the perpetrators, known as ‘Onye Army’ when he (Army) killed himself

It was learnt that operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja tracked Army to the hotel, and in order to evade being caught, he jumped from the balcony of his room on the second floor of the building.

PUNCH Metro learnt that one of the suspects arrested by SARS following Bamigbetan’s kidnap gave the police the information on Army and how to track him.

A police source said, “Onye Army was actually in the hotel with some members of the kidnapping gang.

“However, by the time SARS operatives got there, other members of his group had cleared out leaving just Onye Army’

“While some of the SARS operatives went up to his room and knocked on the door, some waited by the entrance of the hotel. It seems, however, that Onye Army had sighted them through his window because he refused to open up the door. When they started to force the door open, he came out on the balcony, hoping to jump down safely and make his escape.

“Unfortunately, it was a fatal fall. Onye Army broke both legs and his spine; he was in serious pains. Despite all attempts to keep him alive and lead the SARS operatives to the hideout where his colleagues were keeping Bamigbetan, he died while being rushed to the hospital.”

The source said Bamigbetan was set free after the kidnappers discovered that some of their members were being rounded up by SARS.

A family friend of the Bamigbetans told PUNCH Metro on the condition of anonymity that a ransom of N15m was paid to secure his release.

He said, “After the family paid the N15m, the kidnappers reneged on the agreement and demanded another N10m.

“But to our surprise, they suddenly released Bamigbetan on Saturday.”

The Lagos State Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Damasus Ozoani, said, “I can confirm that Bamigbetan has been released.

“As for any ransom being paid, I am not aware of that.

“I also don’t have details of the suspect who jumped to his death. However, police investigation on this case is still on.”