The family of an electrician in the Surulere area of Lagos State has launched a search for him after he left home and failed to returned.

According to reports, Hakeem Sanusi left his home last Wednesday after dropping a suicide note.

It was gathered that the 28-year-old had a conversation with his mother around 8.30pm that day and stepped out afterwards, telling his mother that he wanted to take fresh air.

Hakeem’s sister, Jumoke Sanusi, said Hakeem did not quarrel with anybody before going out, adding that the reason for his action was unknown to the family.

She said,

“My mother asked him when he was going out if she should prepare his food, but he said she should not bother.

“When it was around 12am, my mother realised that my brother had not come back. She called his phone number and it rang out many times.

“My mother thought that he went to sleep in the house of one of his friends and she went to bed.

“When she woke up around 6am to pray, she tried his telephone number again, but it was switched off. She thought he would come back later in the day and resumed what she was doing.

“When it was around 11am, she tried the phone number, but it was still switched off. She went to his room to check his wardrobe, only for her to see a suicide note addressed to her.

“What he wrote was, ‘don’t bother to look for me, I am tired of this life and I have gone to meet Dagrin. I am sorry.”

She said after discovering the suicide note, her mother became afraid for her son, adding that Dagrin was Hakeem’s favourite artiste.

“Some of his friends were contacted, but they claimed that they did not know his whereabouts.

“One of his friends said he saw him that Wednesday and asked him where he was going to.

“Hakeem lied to his friend that he was going to Pako, a neighbouring community,” the sister added.

Jumoke said their mother noticed recently that Hakeem had stopped eating regularly, adding that whenever she asked him about the sudden change, he always said he was not in the mood to eat.

It was gathered that the matter had been reported at the Ijesha Police Station.

Jumoke said,

 “Hakeem is a jovial and active person. His friends said they did not think he could commit suicide. Our mother has been traumatised since Wednesday. Our father has also been crying. He has searched for him to no avail.

One of Hakeem’s friends, who identified himself simply as Muiz, said he was not around when Hakeem went missing.

Muiz added that Hakeem’s disagreement with his (Hakeem’s) girlfriend could be responsible for his disappearance.

He said,

“Hakeem and his girlfriend had a misunderstanding. Usually when I asked Hakeem about his girlfriend, he was always happy to talk about her. But last week when I asked him about her, he just brushed the discussion aside.

“What I suspect led to his disappearance is the misunderstanding between him and his girlfriend because the girl told him to stop calling her.”

He, however, said he did not think Hakeem could commit suicide.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, confirmed the incident, adding that the state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, had ordered all the police stations in the state to be on the lookout for Hakeem.

He said,

“We are investigating a case of a man who dropped a suicide note and went missing.

“However, the commissioner of police has ordered all divisions in the state to be on the lookout for the young man.

“The OC marine has received orders from the CP to be on the lookout for the man on waterways.

PUNCH NEWSPAPER