Metro
Sniper Claims Another Final-Year UNN Student in Yet Another Suicide Case
A final-year student of the Department of Religion and Culture, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Samuel Elias, 25, has committed suicide by taking an insecticide, sniper.
The mother of the deceased, Mrs Kate Elias, an employee of the university, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the incident occurred on Monday, June 17, 2019, around 5.30pm in her house at Justina Eze Street, Nsukka, Enugu State.
Kate said, “I came back from work on that fateful day and discovered that the mood of my first child was bad and he was staggering when he came to collect a bottle of soft drink from the refrigerator.
“I followed him to his room and started talking to him but he could not respond, and when I looked closely, I discovered that his teeth had tightened up.
“As I looked around, I saw an empty sniper bottle; at this point, I raised the alarm and my other children rushed to the room and we tried to give him palm oil, but his tightened teeth did not allow the oil to enter his mouth.”
According to her, Samuel was immediately rushed to the Faith Foundation Hospital, Nsukka, from where he was referred to the Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka, where he eventually died.
The mother of seven said Samuel could have died of depression, noting that he had been lamenting his inability to graduate from the UNN because of his final project.
She added that her son had also been unhappy with the way his late father’s family had allegedly abandoned them.
Kate stated, “I know two things he usually complained about – his inability to graduate from the UNN since 2016 because of the project that he had not finished as his classmates had all gone for their National Youth Service Corps programme.
“Also, how his father’s family in Ihechiowa in the Arochukwu Local Government of Abia State has abandoned us after my husband died.
“Whenever he complained of these things, I usually advised him to trust God, who is capable of solving every problem.
“I do not know why he would go to this extent of committing suicide; I have seven children and he was my first child. It is still like a dream to me that my first child has died.”
Reacting to this incident, the Head of Department of Religion and Culture, UNN, Prof. Tagbo Ugwu, said somebody called to inform him of the incident.
“I received the news with shock and surprise. I will find out from his supervisor what is wrong with his the project that stopped him from graduating,” he said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer for the state, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed the incident and said the police would investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.
“The police are aware that Samuel Elias, a final-year student of the Department of Religion and Culture at the UNN, committed suicide on Monday by drinking sniper.
“The police will investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.”
About five weeks ago, one Chukwuemeka Akachi, a 400-level student of the Department of English and Literary Studies, UNN, ended his own life after reportedly taking a bottle of sniper.
Leading payment services bank, MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank (MMPSB) continues to delight its existing customers with various freebies for every transaction.
The bank recently announced the launch of a new 100MB data offer for new customers. The initiative aims to encourage people with little or no access to banking services to set up their own mobile wallets using the bank’s USSD banking platform. The promotion is available to Glo customers using the bank’s USSD bank code, *995#.
A few weeks ago, MoneyMaster introduced a 10 percent data bonus on top-ups of 1,000 naira and above for existing and new customers on the Glo network. The offer was rated as one of the best offers in the country in terms of the amount of data offered. Data purchases are valid for 30 days, and any unused data can be rolled over to your next plan.
Commenting on the data offer, Julius Arhebun, head of agency banking at MoneyMaster, said: “as a payment service bank, one of our core mandates is to promote financial inclusion. This offer builds on the various financial education we have been providing online and across our various customer touchpoints.
“With this new 100MB offer, we want to encourage Nigerians in the unbanked and underbanked pools to be financially included by having at least a mobile wallet. The account number of this mobile wallet is derived from their mobile number, and can be easily recalled,” he noted.
MoneyMaster PSB is a leading provider of innovative digital financial products and services that transform lives and contribute to sustainable living. With a mission to deepen financial inclusion, MoneyMaster has been instrumental in providing financial technology services to bridge the gap between the banked, unbanked and underbanked.
Leading real estate and property firm, Adron Homes and Properties, has announced the postponement of the earlier advertised seventh edition of the Adron Homes Games, with the theme Fit to be the Biggest.
The postponement, according to a statement signed by the Group’s Managing Director, Adenike Ajobo, and made available to Pointblank.ng, is as a result security concerns as the company prioritizes the security of its staff, attendees and participants.
Recall that the sports fiesta, originally billed to take place on November 29 and 30, 2024, was scheduled to hold at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.
Read the statement in full:
POSTPONEMENT OF ADRON GAMES 2024
Adron Homes wishes to announce the cancellation of the much-anticipated Adron Games 2024.
This decision, was made in the best interest of all participants, stakeholders, and the broader community. The postponement is necessitated by heightened security concerns in certain regions that could potentially jeopardize the safety of staff, attendees and participants.
As an organization that is committed to the well-being of its staffs, partners and everyone involved, priority is designated to safety and security above all else. Also, the organization is taking this opportunity to rethink and restructure its sporting initiatives to ensure public inclusivity
and as part of efforts to enhance and expand the impact of its wellness programs, the Adron Games will evolve into a broader, more inclusive sporting initiative.
This transformation will foster collaboration, unity, and healthy competition among a wider array of participants, and will embody the same spirit of excellence, teamwork, and wellness that the Adron Games has championed over the years.
We deeply regret any inconvenience this decision may cause and hereby extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued staff, participants, partners, ambassadors and supporters for their understanding and continued trust in Adron Homes.
Adron Homes remains committed to inspiring excellence and fostering community engagement through corporate wellness initiatives such as Adron Games at all times.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, Mr. James Sule, has retired from service after 35 years of meritorious service to the nation, according to a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations Unit, Mr. Bolaji Kazeem, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP).
The Permanent Secretary however, charged the directorate cadre to mentor officers in the service for effective service delivery to the citizens, as a parting advice.
He made the charge during the send-forth ceremony organized on his behalf by the Ministry staff at the Headquarters of the Ministry in Abuja.
The retired Permanent Secretary said that everything starts and ends with leadership and the need to uphold the organization’s rules and regulations without considering people’s feelings.
“We are all leaders just like I said, don’t just think the president, vice president, and governors are only leaders. What can you do in your community to impact positively on others? What are you doing to mentor the younger ones so that whatever corner you find yourself in, whether you are a union leader, whether you are an assistant director or you are a principal officer, you do your best to be fair, accountable, and transparent in your activities?
He used the opportunity to thank the management and staff of the Ministry for their support and for working with him as a team to ensure the success of the ministry.
According to James, “Indeed, it was a privilege to work alongside a talented and committed team. Together we have achieved a lot, and I am proud of knowing you and we have accomplished it while we were here although it was short, I also want to thank you for your kind words. I thank my personal staff that’s brought so much to the nation-building,” he said.
In his response, the Director charged with the Permanent Secretary Office, Mr. Yusuf Abubakar Argungu, stated that the staff has learned so much from the retired Permanent Secretary noting that the friendship and mentorship have just begun and not the end of it, just the beginning of it.
“It is the perfect time to reflect on the invaluable lessons, experiences, and memories you have shared with us and to experience our heartfelt appreciation. Retirement isn’t the end of an era but the beginning of a new chapter in life. We are wishing you a retirement filled with exciting journeys. Congratulations,” he said.
