21-Year-Old Student Commits Suicide Over Heartbreak

The deceased, Effiong Otu

According to one of the family members, who gave her name as Ann, Effiong was found hanging in his room at Diamond Hill. She said the deceased, who was no longer himself following the breakup, went to their neighbour and collected a rope, which he further used in carrying out the sacrilegious act.
Ann said that neighbours, however, became suspicious immediately after Effiong entered his room with the rope as they wondered what he wanted to use it for.
She said Effiong’s mother, Grace Otu, works as a nurse at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, adding that Effiong’s father had died some years back.
“The 10th of July was the 10th anniversary of his father’s death in a car accident and after the anniversary and everyone had left the house including his mother, he went to a neighbour and borrowed a rope which he took to his room and hung himself,” Ann said.

"The neighbours became suspicious of what he was doing in his room with the rope and decided to rush there but found the door to the room locked and before they could force the door open he had died,” she added.
The source further revealed that before Effiong took his life, he called his friend, Adu on phone requesting him to tell his girl friend, Blessing who works with the UNICEM that "she should now be happy that he has killed himself for her".
“Before his friend could rush to the house, the door had already been forced open by neighbours and Effiong’s body was hanging from the ceiling of the house” Ann said.
She said the deceased, who was the only son of the family, was named after his late father as a source of succour for the family but “he has again left us by this thoughtless action”.

She also disclosed that on 6th of July, 2014, Effiong posted the following message on his Facebook timeline:
"It’s not about being engaged, married or in a relationship. It’s about being happy, safe, secured, relieved and feeling good. It’s about peaceful state of mind, it’s about sleeping at night without the fear of losing what you’ve got. It’s being yourself and not someone else, it’s about feeling loved, happy, respected, understood, cared for and appreciated.! Goodnight my beautiful people!!"
Efforts to reach the Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer, Hogan Bassey, proved abortive because his mobile phone was switched off.
Meanwhile, family members said Effiong’s corpse has been deposited at the mortuary of the General Hospital, Calabar.