The police on Friday foiled the attempt by one 45 years old Adeyinka Abiodun of Abaranje Road, Ikotun, to commit suicide by jumping into the lagoon in Lagos.
He was prevented from carrying out the act by police operatives deployed to Third Mainland Bridge and taken to Bariga Police Station for questioning and debriefing.
The rescued man, upon interrogation explained that in March, 2020, he procured a loan of N390,000 with monthly repayment plan for six months and accrued interest of N142,287:25 from a micro finance bank in Lagos Island.
He said the loan was collected with intent to upgrade his wine retail business, but the business failed and the money lost.
The man who has a BSc in Physics and a Masters in Business Administration, according to the spokesman of the Lagos Police Command, SP Bala Elkana, was already attending medical and counselling sessions after the arrest.
He is said to have two children.
The micro finance bank, the police spokesman said, had been contacted and the loan was confirmed.
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, moved with compassion, was said to have come to the rescue by repaying the loan.
Worried by the rate in which people are killing themselves, the Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu is said to have enjoined Lagosians to always explore other means of addressing life challenges than resorting to taking their own lives, “as suicide is never an option.”
This is the eighth suicide attempt successfully foiled by the Police in Lagos, in the last two months.
Odumosu called on well meaning individuals to always reach out to the needy and less-privileged persons around them.
“Together we can stop suicide,” he said.
