Albino Foundation demands explanation of member’s death in Lagos

The Festac, Lagos, abode of 23-year-old albino, Ugochukwu Ugogbua, who committed suicide last Sunday, was yesterday besieged by members of the Albino Foundation, who demanded to know the exact cause of the suicide act.

This is just as fresh facts have emerged that the deceased, popularly called Ugo, took his life over pressures from his family members to join Jehovah’s Witnesses religious group.

However, in a swift reaction, the bereaved family described the report as false, stating rather that powers beyond Ugo forced him to take his life.
When Vanguard visited the bereaved family’s home at 311 Road, ‘B’ Close, Festac yesterday, members of Albino Foundation were seen leaving for Festac Police Division.

Vanguard was informed that they came to commiserate with the bereaved family and proceeded to the police station to enquire about the outcome of their investigation into the incident.

Members of Albino Foundation at the Festac home of late Ugo, yesterday.

Foundation’s demand
At Festac Police Division, Lagos State Coordinator of Albino Foundation, Mrs. Omolala Joseph, said: “We are here on behalf of the national headquarters of Albino Foundation in Abuja to find out what exactly led to the death of our colleague.

“Though he was not a registered member of the Foundation, he was an albino like us, therefore, we have a duty to pay a condolence visit to the family, counsel them and orientate them.

“Things like this cannot just happen. We need to know the exact cause so as to help re-orientate others.”

Family’s denials
Meanwhile, the bereaved family has described reports that Ugochukwu committed suicide because he was forced into Jehovah’s Witnesses religious group as false.

The family also said reports that the deceased could have committed suicide because of his albino status was untrue.

A member of the family, who simply gave her name as Oluchi, said: “We have read a lot of reports on my brother’s death. I want to categorically state that he did not kill himself because he was forced to become a Jehovah’s Witnesses member.

“It was not also because he was stigmatised as an albino. The truth is that what led him into the act were powers beyond him and he never left any note for us concerning his death.”

Strange behaviour
Vanguard gathered that late Ugochukwu started behaving strangely a few months before he took his life.

Corroborating the claim, Oluchi said: “We discovered a month before his death that he started moving with some boys in the area. Later, he became reserved and then resigned from his job as a dry cleaning attendant.

“We started counselling him, unknown to us that he was planning to take his life. We prevented his first attempt when he mixed cement and water and was on the verge of drinking it when he was stopped.”

It was also gathered that late Ugo’s mother left him and his sister in the care of his aunt in Festac several years ago after the demise of his father.
His aunt, who is yet to come to terms with his death, refused to speak with Vanguard at the police station.
Police sources said investigation into the incident was still ongoing.