A young man, apparently on a suicide mission, set himself ablaze in the Omole Phase 1 area of Ojodu, Lagos, after reportedly claiming he was tired of life due to hardship in Nigeria.
He was prevented from killing himself in the process by people around the scene, as they quickly poured water on him to quench the fire.
But Concise News learned that the fire had done enough damage before it was put out.
Meanwhile, the man, believed to be in his 20s, is being treated at the Lagos State Emergency Centre, 7-Up area.
This was confirmed by the Lagos State Police Command.
According to an eyewitness, the man was seen with a gallon of petrol and lighter. He started narrating how Nigerians were going through hardship.
“I saw a young man 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 was under a spell that cannot be cleansed,” an eyewitness said.
“He said there was no hope and future for the youth, he could no longer bear the ‘suffering-and-smiling’ syndrome and pretence showed by most people. He threatened to kill himself, but people thought he was making empty threats. He poured the liquid on his body and brought out a lighter. He ignited fire on his body and he was burning.
We started pouring water on him, but the fire had done enough damage before we put it out. We called the police who came to the scene and picked the man who was unconscious by then. We don’t know the man and where he came from.”
Confirming the incident, spokesman for the police in the state, CSP Chike Oti, said the man was still unconscious as he received third-degree burns.
Oti said: “it is a suicide attempt as people saw him set himself ablaze. It was not the usual jungle justice by a 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 his life in a most agonizing manner.
We also call on members of the public who are looking for their missing relations to contact the Ojodu Police Station of the PPRO’s office to ascertain who the man is.”
Source: Sun
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