George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Umuadafa community in Awo Mbieri in the Mbaitoli council area of Imo State has been thrown into mourning as a 45-year-old man identified as Osita Ezuruike committed suicide.
A reliable source from the community who expressed shock over the tragic incident said that Osita Ezuruike might have decided to end his life due to frustration over the COVID-19 lockdown.
According to the source, “Osita Ezuruike was a petty trader and it appeared the lockdown imposed by the government adversely affected his psyche as he had been idle with no income.
“Since the lockdown, he had not been able to do anything and I think the situation apparently affected him. We were surprised this morning when we heard that he had hung himself, so we alerted the police.”
When contacted, the Imo State Police Command spokesperson, Orlando Ikeokwu, said that the body had been taken to the morgue.
According to him, “on April 27, acting on a report, operatives of the Divisional Police headquarters in Mbieri moved to Umudafa, Awo Mbieri, Mbaitoli LGA, in a house belonging to one Osita Ezuruike, 45, and met the body of the said Osita hanging. The reason for taking his own life could not be ascertained.
“However, the corpse has been removed to the morgue, while investigation into the incident has commenced.”