Councillor kills himself in Bayelsa, after his wife's sudden departure (Photo)

Councillor kills himself in Bayelsa, after his wife's sudden departure (Photo)

Benbede Kichen, a one-time Councillor and father of nine, on Thursday, March 30, hung himself over alleged economic hardship and the unexplained absence of his wife from their home.

Benbede is said to have taken his own life, after his wife fled from home, due to economic hardship.

Kichen, aged 43, popu­larly known as G.K. Bekeg­bo, hung himself with a bed sheet at about 4am on Wednesday and did not leave behind a note.

NAIJ.com gathered that the late Councillor, who served as a supervisory member on Health of the Rural Development Authority (RDA) in 2000 during the late DSP Alam­eiseigha’s tenure, died after a desperate and frustrating search for his wife, Madam Beauty.

While some claimed he killed himself due to the economic hardship due to increased case of alcohol­ism and economic hard­ship, others claimed he took his life after the des­perate search for his wife and suspicion of infidelity.

At the deceased’s home, his kinsmen from Eker­emor local government area were seen gathered making arrangement on how to handle the situa­tion.

It was gathered that the wife, Madam Beauty, be­came the bread winner of the family with a retail kerosene business after he lost his job.

The caretaker of Mr. Kichen’s apartment Mr Benjamin Samuel, told newsmen that “I am the caretaker of the building, around 12 midnight, came to my room and asked me to give him a particular phone number which I did, only for me to hear people crying and a knock on my door around 6am, at first I thought it was armed robbers.

I was led to one of the rooms upstairs where I saw his lifeless body dangling on the ceiling.”

Another neighbour who pleaded anonymity, said, the deceased was not in good terms with his wife who is a petroleum products retailer, adding that the deceased has been complaining that the wife was starving him of his conjugal rights.

A family member and el­der brother to the deceased, Chief D.M Apelibiri, dis­missed the claim of alleged infidelity against the wife, insisting that the trip of the accused wife on her kero­sene business was disrupted by the police.

“The woman came home the next day af­ter ensuring that she secured the release of her products and came to meet a lifeless body of her husband,” he added.