Residents of Amakpu Okuku community in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State were thrown into shock on Friday morning after a middle-aged man identified as Odomma was found dead in an uncompleted building near his residence.
The deceased, said to be in his 50s and a father of four, reportedly took his own life following prolonged hardship and alleged neglect by his family.
Odomma, who earned a living selling water in jerry cans and buckets, had for months battled financial challenges that left him unable to provide for his household.
Villagers told reporters that he had previously threatened to end his life, lamenting that his wife and children had stopped giving him food because of his inability to cater for their needs.
His lifeless body was discovered hanging as residents set out for their daily activities.
A community member, Ikenna, recalled that the deceased had repeatedly shared his frustrations with friends.
“He said if things didn’t improve, he would take his life to end the misery,” Ikenna said. “We advised him to report the matter to the village head for settlement, but he chose this path. It’s painful because he could have found other means instead of doing this.”
Eyewitnesses said scores of residents trooped to the scene, with many using their phones to film the incident. Odomma, once popular in the area for his affordable water supply, was described as hardworking but visibly distressed in recent months.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Henry Okoye, said he would confirm the matter with the Divisional Police Officer
of Owerri West.
However, subsequent attempts to reach him were unsuccessful as his phone line remained unreachable.