A 72-year-old former soldier named Francis Dooga reportedly committed suicide in his compound opposite St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Nyiniongun, a suburb of Makurdi, Benue State’s capital city.
On Sunday, the dead was said to have hung himself from a tree at his home, leaving no message behind.
The death of the septugenarian was said to have caused confusion in his neighbourhood as to what might have pushed him to such an act.
A resident of the region who did not want to be identified stated that none of the retired soldier’s family members were present when the guy famously known as ‘Old Soldier’ committed suicide.
He stated, “It was when one of the family members came in around 6:00 p.m. yesterday (Sunday) and saw the retiree’s body dangling from a tree within the house that he raised the alarm.”
Another resident of the area, who also requested anonymity, revealed that the ‘old soldier’ had previously complained of difficulties as a result of falling into the hands of those who allegedly scammed him.
However, no family members were able to provide media with information on why the retired soldier committed himself.
When reached, the state command spokesperson, SP Catherine Anene, acknowledged the occurrence in a terse response, saying, “We have the report, and the investigation is ongoing.”