A 48-year-old man, identified as Jacob Elegbede, who attempted to hang himself in Zanda, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, has blamed spiritual forces for his action.

Elegbede, a driver, had gone to a primary school in the area at the weekend and had climbed a tree in an attempt to commit suicide in a nearby bush.

Neighbours reportedly rescued him and alerted the police who arrested him.

According to Punch, the father of one made attempts to hang himself on Saturday and Sunday with a written note in which he took responsibility for the planned crime and also asked for forgiveness from his family and neighbours.

Elegbede, who worked with a construction company in Abuja, also listed the names of his creditors whom he owed various amounts, craving their forgiveness.

Narrating what led to the suicide attempts, Elegbede, who hails from Badagry, Lagos State, on Wednesday, said he did not know what came over him.

He said he was not himself, noting that he simply found himself on the tree along with the rope he wanted to use to kill himself.

He said, “My problem began about 18 months ago when I started suffering from insomnia. The situation got worse when I started having strange dreams and suffering from hot flashes in my head and chest.

“I also started having strange dreams in which I find myself having intercourse with strange women and even animals. They put ideas in me and push to to commit suicide.

“I worship at the Mountain of Fire and Miracle church in Abuja, but I couldn’t go for prayers or deliverance because I work from Monday to Sunday and there was no time for any other thing.

“I believe my problem is spiritual because I can’t even explain how I found myself on the tree with a rope to hang myself.”

Asked about the suicide note that was recovered by the police, Elegbede, stated that he could not remember writing the said letter because he had no pen or paper in his room.

“I strongly believe some spiritual forces were behind my problem because while I was in the cell last Saturday, I had a wet dream in which a dog was licking my private parts,” he said.

Confirming the report, the FCT Commissioner of Police, CP, Muhammed Mustafa, said attempted suicide was a criminal offence and that the suspect would be arraigned in court after investigation.