Graduate commits suicide over girlfriend

For the family and friends of a young man identified as Chijioke who lived of 98 Abel Jumbo Street, in Mile Two, Diobu, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, June 24, will forever be remembered as a Black Sunday.

While the young man’s family members are wallowing in mourning, neighbours and acquaintance too are still reeling from shock over his sudden death. The question everyone is asking is: Why would a young, able-bodied graduate choose to take his own life on account of a woman?

The person in question, Chijioke, age 23, a native of Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, and the son of a female Chief Matron with the Rivers State Health Management Board, allegedly committed suicide at his residence two hours after he was granted bail by the Diobu Police Station after he was arrested and detained for harassing his girlfriend.

According to witnesses, on Saturday, June 23, the late young man and his girlfriend had a misunderstanding which prompted the young lady to have him arrested by the police on allegations of constant harassments and threat to her life. According to reports, the lady in question (name withheld) decided to arrest the deceased when he insisted that their relationship (which she was no longer interested in) must continue. Before the deceased was released from police cell, he was made to sign an undertaking that he would neither hurt the lady again nor go close to her. Thereafter, he left the police station in fury.

Relatives of the deceased who were at the scene of the crime refused to offer any comment, but few neighbors who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed that the late lover was discovered dead when a friend came to visit him. According to them, the visitor alarm drew the attention of neighbours and passers-by to the shocking sight inside his room.

Regarding the reason behind the late Chijioke’s fatal action, an insider affirmed that the general consensus was that his rash action that culminated in his premature death was due to his girlfriend’s refusal to continue with the relationship, a decision believed to have been informed by his constant beating and manhandling of the girl. Another source claimed that the deceased, a former student of Marine Engineering Department of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, had been dating the girl since when he was in the university.

Meanwhile, elders from Isiokpo, the deceased’s hometown, had been deliberating on the matter. Relatives are in dilemma as there are rumours that the remains of the deceased may be thrown into evil forest in accordance with the Ikwerre custom as it relates to suicides. In the meantime, the case had been reported to the Azikiwe Police Station for further investigations.