An Anambra-based author, Odibe Emeka, has attempted to commit suicide in Obosi, the Idemili North Local Government Area of the state after he was duped by his Facebook girlfriend.
According to PUNCH, Emeka was allegedly duped of about $140,000 by a Facebook girlfriend based in Canada where she claimed she ran a media outfit, but hailed from a state in Nigeria.
Narrating his ordeal at the St. Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha, where he was rushed to by his aged parents when he drank a chemical poison to take his life, he said, “Glory be to God that today I am alive to tell my story.
“The only thing I have in this world is intelligence and I am putting it in good work and people are taking advantage of my intelligence to dupe me.
“I ran into this lady who claimed she runs a media outfit in Canada, through Facebook, after authoring a book, ‘The Truth, My Journey’, because I needed money to get it published and sell to the public and she volunteered to do the publishing and sales.
“We had an agreement and in line with the publicity outlines, it was calculated that the first printed 100,000 copies would sell out in six months and fetch me at least $140,000 which would have been used to kick start my company, Pokka Angels Limited, but the lady who published the book in Canada refused to remit to me the 70 per cent share as stated in the contract.
“She blocked me off all means I could reach her and refused me to access to my book. I was so frustrated that I didn’t know when I drank that chemical poison but miraculously I have survived after being rushed to St. Charles Borromeo Hospital, Onitsha, by my aged parents.
“Upon that, the said Canada-based woman, a supposed gospel minister, who I got to know is a Nigerian, has refused till date to remit the money to me.
“I am just crying for help from the world, human rights organisations, media, good spirited individuals and our able Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, to come to my rescue to recover my $140,000 from her.
“I apologise to my parents for the trauma they went through when I went on a suicide mission and all those who contributed to my recovery. Somebody just scammed me because I am a poor Nigerian.
“I am not proud to say I am a suicide survivor and will not advise anybody to take his life no matter the situation. For someone to think that death is the only option left, he may have suffered a lot psychologically, financially, emotionally and in all aspects.”
He recalled that prior to attempting suicide, he “…prayed and cried to God for help, told my parents, friends and others what I was going through but no help came financially. My health was deteriorating and I became frustrated. The only option left in my mind was suicide. Only those who attempted suicide and survived it can understand my story.
“To show my intelligence, I was the first ever to highlight the importance of the possibility to be able to borrow airtime at desperate moments from the network (communication) companies among others but was not rewarded and today they are benefitting from my idea.”
“I am a good writer and if there is a possibility of publishers I can work with, I still have other books I can work on to be published.”