News

Landlord commits suicide, blames son

Published

6 years ago

August 16, 2018

Gloom enveloped Majekolagbe Street , Ibafo , Ogun State on Wednesday after the remains of the street founder , Adewale Majekolagbe , were found dangling from a rope in his house .Our correspondent , who visited the area , saw residents and landlords at the late Majekolagbe ’ s bungalow as the news of the tragedy spread .
PUNCH Metro gathered that the 59 – year -old had disappeared from the community on Tuesday and had also stopped taking his telephone calls .

Concerned residents and members of the community development association were said to have forced the door to his house open and found his body dangling from the rope .

Our correspondent learnt that the Abeokuta , Ogun State indigene , wrote a note before his death , which was handed over to the police from the Ibafo division .

A resident , who sighted the note and spoke on condition of anonymity , said the deceased blamed his son for his suicide .

According to him , the note read , ‘( Son’ s name withheld) , you are the one that put me into this problem , which made me to take my life . 3 . 35 pm . ’

He said , “ Every day , people usually converged on the frontage of his house to relax . Also , some members of Jehovah ’ s Witnesses visited him every evening . Around 8 pm every day , he went to the house of one of his friends , where he would stay till around 11 pm to 12 am before returning to his house .

“ Nobody saw him throughout yesterday ( Tuesday ) and when they called his mobile phone , he did not pick his calls . His first daughter also called him without a response . That was why people forced his door open and found his corpse in the house .

“ He hanged himself in his late wife ’ s room . He left a suicide note . He indicated the time he killed himself . The note has been handed over to the police . What is curious is that some of us still don’ t know what the son did to him that made him to kill himself . He did not say what his son did . ”

Our correspondent , however , heard one of the landlords saying that the deceased had approached him for a loan of N 50 , 000 on Monday .
The landlord , who regretted that he could not assist the victim , said he ( Majekolagbe ) had told him that his son was behind his travail .

He said , “ Despite the heavy rain on Monday , Baba ( Majekolagbe ) came to my house . He was at my place for more than two hours . He initially asked if I had a loaf of bread that he could eat , which I told him I did not have. I told him that I had pap . We prepared and took it together.

“ He then begged me give him a loan of N 50 , 000 . I told him that I had just transferred money from my account and there was nothing left . He said his son was at it again and the boy had put himself into another trouble . He sounded really distressed. ”

The landlord said he heard that the deceased ’ s son owed some people over N 1 m , adding that the debt was put on Majekolagbe .

PUNCH Metro gathered that the deceased ’ s wife died about two years ago .

A shop where the late wife sold drinks , biscuits and other items , had been taken over by the victim , who continued the trade .

A resident said Majekolagbe was in a good mood last Saturday at the shop .

“ I was at his shop that day and he said he would be marking his 60 th birthday on December 27 . He said he would celebrate it big time . He gave me a malt drink for free and said the celebration had started , ” she said .

A woman on the street described the deceased as kind – hearted , adding that his late wife was also hospitable .

She said the son , alleged to have been the reason for the suicide , was also a great member of the family before things went awry .

She said , “ When my family newly moved into this street , we brought a trailer load of property from Lagos . His late wife heard my dialect and upon learning that I came from Ekiti , she became excited. Despite the flood , she waded through the water to help us to move our property into our house . We were so close to the family that my children stayed with them when we had not found a school to put them . Both husband and wife were accommodating and loving .

“ Even the boy in question used to be a chorister in a Pentecostal church. He was intelligent and assisted my children with their assignments . My children were fond of him .

“ The man was the first to take ill . The sickness was serious that he became very lean . The wife supported him until he recovered . Suddenly , the woman also took ill . She died from a stroke . After that time , Baba started living alone in the house . ”

Our correspondent gathered that the deceased was not attending any religious house until recently when he joined a local church .

Our correspondent , during the visit to the community , observed some Hausa men digging a grave in front of the deceased ’ s house .

Some family members, who entered the house , broke down in tears , while there were occasional arguments and blame -trading on the circumstances surrounding the death .

Majekolagbe ’ s three children were also sighted arriving the house .

When our correspondent approached a member of the family for comment , he said the family did not want the incident publicised .
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer , Abimbola Oyeyemi , confirmed the incident , adding that the police had a copy of the suicide note .

He said , “ The man said his son got him annoyed and he decided to kill himself . He did not say in particular what his son did . He just said he could no longer withstand his son ’ s behaviour . ”