George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
There was confusion in Agboala Ishiala Umudi community in Nkwerre Council of Imo state with news that a 12-year-old primary six schoolboy had committed suicide following the death of his mother.
The deceased, who was identified as Kasarachi Odunkwe, had reportedly taken his own life by hanging himself with rope on an Indian bamboo tree.
According to village sources, the deceased and two of his siblings had been living with an aunt in Agboala Ishisi Umudi village after the death of their mother.
It was learnt that the boy, still grieving over the death of his mother, had complained of being tired of living and was said to have talked about going to heaven to be with her.
On Wednesday, Kasarachi had reportedly led his two siblings and two other kids to a nearby stream to fetch water.
On arrival at the stream, Kasarachi was said to have assisted the other children to fill their cans while he used a long stick to check the depth of the stream.
One of the sources who identified himself as Abara Obinna said: “Having not been satisfied with the depth of the water, the deceased was said to have taken a rope and tied it up to a bamboo tree. But his first and second attempts to kill himself failed while the other kids were begging him to stop.
“It was on the third attempt on a stronger Indian bamboo tree that the rope strangled him to death.
“His action had surprised the other kids who ran back to the village to report the incident to the family and villagers elders.”
When the elders quickly thronged the scene, they called in the police who assisted in bringing down the corpse and deposited it at the local morgue.
Four batteries had reportedly been found on the boy which some villagers say might have been intended to be drunk as poison.