According to a report by TheGuardian, a
University of Benin (UNIBEN) graduating
student, Emmanuel Oluwasayomi Ahmadu,
popularly known as Mr. Voiceover, has
revealed how he survived a suicide attempt
after he had written O’level examinations
17 times, attended 16 primary schools, took
the University Matriculation Examination
(UME) five times and enrolled into 14
secondary schools before gaining
admission into the university.
Ahmadu, who recently got an international
award for student brand of the year West
Africa, organized by West Africa Citizens
Award, said he scaled through his ordeal of
attempted suicide after enduring
depression and hopelessness.
He said: â€I felt hopeless and desperate, with
bleak pessimistic view of the future. It was
such a heart-breaking experience for me to
see my junior colleagues turned university
graduates before my eyes and worse still, to
see my self still wearing secondary school
uniform and repeatedly rewriting O’level
exams until the 17th time.
“All these were happening to me as a result
of family crisis, and along the line, I became
an orphan. I was haunted continually with
low self-esteem and feelings of
worthlessness. I am today thankful to God
that I did not succumb to the pressures to
end my life. I am being celebrated
today.†Surviving a suicide attempt may be
seemingly impossible to victims; however,
he revealed his recovering process to The
Guardian. “I survived suicide thoughts by
distancing myself and shifting attention away
from the negative thoughts that could lead to
a more devastating situation.
“I tried as much as possible to surround
myself with people who care about me and
let them know what I was going through.
And I often remind myself that recovery is
possible, especially from the numerous
setbacks. At the weekend, the story came to
light about the reported suicide of one
Michael Asiwaju, known as Mike Cash, the
founder of Asiwaju Royal Furniture. Members
of the Twitter community had a week ago
accused him of r*pe.
Mike was said to have drank Sniper, a
poisonous insecticide in his hotel room on
January 13, 2019 in Lagos a day after he
threatened to take his life.Two days into
the New Year, Lagos-based disc jockey
(DJ), Seun Omogaji, popularly known as DJ
XGee, committed suicide few hours after
posting a cryptic note on his Instagram
account. It was gathered that Omogaji
allegedly took his life by gulping the
insecticide, Sniper after unresolved marital
crises.
Last year, one Ifeanyi Ugokwe was arrested
and locked up for several weeks. His crime:
He tried to take his own life. After weeks
of reportedly being hungry and jobless, the
25-year-old claimed he reached breaking
point after a security guard pushed him to
the ground while he was searching for work
at a building site.
“I was tired of walking around that day. And
I was determined to work there, I tried to
force my way in, then he pushed me, and I
fell down flat on the floor,†Ugokwe had told
CNN.“I started begging him because I was
tired. I really needed that job because I
needed to eat.†Humiliated, Ugokwe went to
a nearby lagoon and jumped in. After being
rescued by fishermen, Ugokwe said he was
handed over to police officers who arrested
and put him behind bars.
Attempting suicide is a criminal offence in
Nigeria, under Section 327 of the Criminal
Code Act, and carries a penalty of up to
one year in prison. The law was abolished
in Britain under the Suicide Act of 1961,
which happened after Nigeria gained its
independence in 1960. Ugokwe said he is
speaking out about his attempt to take his
own life despite the stigma around the
subject in Nigeria because he does not
want people to suffer as he did.
Ajayi Yewande Elizabeth, a 400-level
Psychology student of Olabisi Onabanjo
University (OOU), noted that for every
suicide, there are 25 suicide attempts
arising from depression, failure or low self-
esteem. She advised that sharing of
thoughts with someone close or talking to
a therapist could best curb suicide thoughts
in the society.
Dr. Jubril Abdulmalik, a consultant
psychiatrist has advised that inaccurate
media depictions of mental health must
stop, especially in Nigeria. He said the
media must go beyond seeking traction
when it comes to reporting on mental
health issues and cases.
Citing examples of recent reports on
suicide cases in Nigeria, the psychiatrist
said the media must approach reports of
mental health from a human angle and take
leads from positions that do not seek to
glorify the ugly side of the tragic events.
He said the impact of reporting mental
heath issues inaccurately, can be highly
devastating. TheGuardian
Source:
www.tori.ng/news/114762/uniben-
student-who-survived-suicide-attempt-
after.html
