Saturday, November 24, 2012

Policeman in suicide drama


About three weeks ago, there was confusion on Fatiregun Street in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos when a police officer, Inspector Victor Edigbue, allegedly attempted suicide.
Edigbue, who lived alone at No 6, Fatiregun street, was said to have been ill for some time. A neighbour described him as a recluse.
“He kept to himself most of the time. He didn’t have many friends, although he has lived here for a year. Before he attempted suicide, he had locked himself in his house for about four days. He refused to come out or talk to anyone and would not let anyone buy him food to eat. We were scared of asking him to unlock the door because he was armed,” the man said, on condition of anonymity.
Some residents of the area had at first allegedly contacted the Iponri police division for help, but their initial effort was rebuffed on the grounds that Edigbue was not a policeman.
 “I wouldn’t understand why they claimed Edigbue wasn’t a serving policeman. But from the documents and identification that he gave to us, it was clear that he was a police inspector and he had served in Sudan in 2010,” the neighbour added. 
After several futile attempts to get the Iponri division to rescue Edigbue, a resident eventually contacted the police at the Kam Salem House on Moloney Street.
“The landlord association and residents did all they could to save Edigbue because we didn’t want him to die. So, we contacted Kam Salem House and I learned they also spoke with the Iponri Police Division to rescue Edigbue from harming himself. In fact, I was told that it was actually the IG  who was later told that instructed the Iponri division to attend to Edigbue,” he continued.
CRIME DIGEST gathered that though a team of policemen eventually visited the house, Edigbue rebuffed all entreaties to open up his flat. Instead, he requested the services of a doctor.
The neighbour said, “We told him that there was no way a doctor would agree to attend to him while he was armed with a gun. We tried to get across to Edigbue’s landlord who is also a medical doctor, but he wasn’t even in the country at the time. The policemen couldn’t do anything for him and they left.
“Eventually, after four days, Edigbue finally came out of his house. By that time, he had hurt himself. When he went back into his house again, he locked himself in for two days before finally attempting suicide on Nov. 6.”
Edigbue had allegedly stabbed himself in the neck with a knife in the early hours of Nov. 6. It took the combined efforts of his neighbours and the police to break into his flat and rush him to a hospital.
“I don’t like to recall the events of that night. Edigbue almost killed himself. It was a gory sight. We were lucky to get him to the hospital in time. A neighbourhood pharmacist later told me that Edigbue was suffering from cerebral malaria. He said a patient suffering from the ailment could go crazy.
“Although he is recuperating at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, we are still worried. Nobody has been able to reach his family members or friends because we don’t even know them. I noticed the picture of a woman and child in his flat, though they never came to visit him. It is possible that his family is unaware of his present condition. It will be dangerous for Edigbue to leave the hospital and go back to living alone like before; he needs his family around him until he is fully recovered,” the source said.
When CRIME DIGEST contacted the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ngozi Braide, she confirmed the incident.
“Edigbue is a serving policeman with the Nigeria Police Force. A few weeks ago, the Iponri police division were alerted by Edigbue’s neighbours, of his attempts to cut his neck with a knife; he had locked himself in his house. They responded to the call and were able to rescue him. Edigbue is currently at LUTH receiving medical attention.”

The Punch

No comments: