A yet-to-be-identified man has committed suicide after jumping into a river in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

An eyewitness, who spoke to newsmen on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that the man committed suicide over hardship on Tuesday, September 12, 2023.

He said: “I am very surprised that a person can decide to take his own life because of hardship.

“When he jumped into the river we wanted to rescue him but when we saw a snake moving around we got afraid and rushed to inform the police.”

The Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, who confirmed the incident, said the man committed suicide at about 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

Ovye-Aya said a Divisional Police Officer led a search team to the Meme Bridge on Ganaka-Ajaokuta Road, where the victim was said to have jumped into the river.

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He said: “Our men found the man’s slippers but his corpse is not yet visible, which calls for a thorough search for the recovery of his remains.

“As it stands, the man’s identity is not yet known since none of his family members has shown up to lay complaint.

“We are only working on a report about the incident by some good Samaritans.”

The police spokesman added that there were two versions of the suicide report with some claiming he left his tricycle on the bridge and jumped into the river.

According to him, another version claimed that he dropped from another person’s tricycle and jumped in.

Ovye-Aya stated that “if the deceased was a tricycle rider, the tricycle would have been seen parked on the bridge”.

He described the incident as “very unfortunate” and “rash”, saying “what is important to the police is finding the man’s corpse”.

He advised the residents of Kogi State to refrain from such rash decisions, in spite of the current economic difficulties, adding: “God can change one’s condition for better at any time.”

The Star