Lagos: Father of four kills self over inability to pay N60,000 house rent

• He reportedly died on Sunday night in his one room apartment after drinking a poisonous substance suspected to be an insecticide

In Lagos State, a man has reportedly committed suicide over his inability to fulfil his accommodation obligation.

The deceased, who is said to be in his mid-30s and popularly identified as Baale or Radical, took his own life after his landlord issued him a quit notice to move out.

Baale was served the notice of eviction after he could not pay his annual rent of N35,000 which was later increased to N60,000.

The incident happened in Moshalashi Road, Egan, in the Igando area of Lagos State,

He reportedly died on Sunday night in his one room apartment after drinking a poisonous substance suspected to be an insecticide.

Before his death, the deceased was said to have implicitly informed his wife of an imminent tragic event, telling her that his inability to pay for their house rent would soon make her grieve.

“He had had an altercation with his wife after his landlord issued a quit notice to him for not meeting up with the increased rent of N60,000 for their one-room apartment.

“The rent was initially N35,000, and he struggled to pay it. This made him tell his wife that he may lose him soon as pressure is mounting up for him already” Punch quoted a source familiar with the matter to have said.

According to the source, who spoke in confidence with newsmen, moments before committing suicide, Baale had told a young man of his plan to end it all with a bottle of insecticide he intended to consume its deadly content.

He said: “He came home from Iba yesterday where he went to chill with his friends only for him to call a young man (name withheld) he would commit suicide with the bottle of insecticide he was holding. The young man immediately ran to his wife after luring him to stop, and they all called for help.

“Before they could return to where he was, he had already taken the substance and was given antidotes to make sure that he was stable and taken to hospital for proper treatment.

“They got a bus and when they got to the hospital at 11 pm, he was confirmed dead,”

The deceased left four children and his wife behind.