A man believed to be in his early 20s Wednesday afternoon, set himself ablaze at tOmole Phase 1, the area of Ojodu, Lagos.
The man whose identity has not be confirmed as at press time was said to have armed himself with a gallon of fuel and lighter and started narrating how Nigerians were going through hardship.
A witness Ben Chinedu told Cornerstonewsng:” I was driving out of Omole First gate when I saw a crowd and I stopped to make inquiries when I saw a young man who is in his 20s, he was armed with a gallon of fuel. He was shouting on top of his voice saying that he was tired of life.
He narrated how he had been running from one person to other for assistance and everyone was saying things were difficult. He told people who cared to listen that the country is under a spell that cannot be cleansed.
“He said there was no hope and future for the youths. He said he could no longer bear the suffering and smiling syndrome, pretense showed by people. He threatened to kill himself, but people thought he was making empty threats, but he poured a liquid content on his body and brought out a lighter. He invited fire on his body and he was burning.
We started pouring water on him, though the fire has done enough damage on him before we put it off. We called the Police who came to the scene and pick the man who was unconscious. We don’t know the man and where he came from “.
Police Public relations officer, CSP. Chike Oti who confirmed the story said the man was being treated at the Lagos State Emergency Centre, 7up area.
CSP Oti said: “Divisional Police Officer, Ojodu, received a distress call that a man set himself ablaze and raced to the scene with some officers. When the police arrived, they put out the fire and rushed the man to the Lagos State Emergency Centre where he was being treated. The man is still unconscious as he received a third degree burnt.
He is still unconscious as I am talking to you, but the Commissioner of Police has directed DPO in charge of Ojodu to take the man who attempted suicide at the hospital.
” it is a suicide attempt as people saw him set himself ablaze. it was not the usual jungle justice by the mob. He was the person who planned how to kill himself. The CP has ordered the DPO to investigate and find out who the man is and why he decided to take away his life in a most agonizing manner.
We also call on the members of the public who are looking for their missing persons to contact the Ojodu police station of the PPRO office to ascertain who the man is “.
