Matthew Onocheta
ANAMBRA, Nigeria – A 27-year-old man, identified as Alozie John, has been prevented from committing suicide in Umunnachi community, Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, South-East Nigeria, police said.
The young man, a livestock dealer, who hails from Isielu LGA of Ebonyi State, was said to have attempted suicide over the indebtedness of ₦1.2million to his supplier of livestock products.
In a statement on Saturday, the Anambra State Police Command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said security operatives rescued the man on Friday after his WhatsApp conversation was intercepted.
Ikenga said, “On 23/8/2024, Anambra police rescued a young man who attempted to take his own life. He was debriefed, rendered medical assistance and kept in safe custody for monitoring.
“The young man, who was later identified as Alozie John ‘m’ aged 27years from Isielu LGA Ebonyi State but lives in Umunnachi, Dunukofia LGA, WhatsApp message was intercepted when he engaged the Command on a chat that he drank a poisonous substance hoping for death because of indebtedness of one million, two hundred thousand Naira to his supplier of livestock products.
“He further confessed that he deals with selling live chicken and after he took the harmful chemical did not feel otherwise.
“Meanwhile, his mother was contacted, and she is currently assisting the Police with evaluation, references and transfer to a better facility for proper and other necessary care of the boy.”
Nigeria is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with skyrocketing inflation, a national currency in free-fall and millions of people struggling to buy food. Only two years ago Africa’s biggest economy, Nigeria is projected to drop to fourth place this year.
The pain is widespread. Unions strike to protest salaries of around $20 a month. People die in stampedes, desperate for free sacks of rice. Hospitals are overrun with women wracked by spasms from calcium deficiencies.
Although President Bola Tinubu increased the minimum wage — after strike action and months-long negotiations with labour unions — from N30,000 to N70,000, his government has increased spending for officials at a time of nationwide starvation.
For workers earning the new N70,000, or $43, per month minimum wage, capricious inflation and naira value have inflicted too much damage for the changes to make any difference in their lives.
The crisis is largely believed to be rooted in two major changes implemented by Mr Tinubu, elected 14 months ago: the partial removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the currency, which together have caused major price rises.
Earlier in August, Amnesty International accused Nigerian security forces of killing at least 21 protesters during a week of economic hardship protests.
Police and other security agencies clamped down on protests after thousands of people joined rallies against government policies and the high cost of living from August 1 – 10.
Security forces denied responsibility for deaths during the protests.
A nation of entrepreneurs, Nigeria’s more than 200 million citizens are skilled at managing in tough circumstances, without the services states usually provide. They generate their own electricity and source their own water. They take up arms and defend their communities when the armed forces cannot. They negotiate with armed kidnappers when family members are abducted.
But right now, their resourcefulness is being stretched to the limit.