It was a dramatic scene in Jalingo, Taraba State on Thursday after as youths struggled to stop a military man from committing suicide.
The soldier, whose name was given as Ali, has climbed the Welcome to Taraba Roadblock Tower -over 24fts high, and threatened to jump to his deanth.
He was had speaking in Hausa and pidgin, saying: “I want to die. Allow me to jump down and die.” But the youth who gathered there began to beg him: “Please do not jump. We don’t want you to die.”
Ali was seen on the high altitude Tower, attempting severally to jump down, but the people tried to make sure they save him if he jumped. But they said they preferred he changed his mind and not jump.
Witnesses said the soldier’s behaviour attracted their attention when they spotted him on top of the tower pulling and throwing down the items of clothing on him.
“We noticed someone climbing the place and pulling off his clothes. We got there to discover he is someone we know. He was left with under pant and an inner vest and poised to jump. We went close and began to beg him,” an eyewitness said.
A close look revealed he had an injury on his left kneecap, which he bandaged.
A source told The Nation that Ali has mental illness and has been relieved of his job, of recent.
“He is an ex-soldier, fond of riding military motorbikes in town. He was sacked from the army when it was discovered he is mentally ill,” another source said.
