Man Stabs Self to Death on Hospital Bed

 By Ngah Nfor

Stephen Awotum

Consternation and incredulity are not words enough to describe the atmosphere at the Catholic Hospital Njinikom. On June 3, 2013, a man of fifty-two years decided to take his own life while on his hospital bed. Stephen Awotum, as the story goes hails from Bambili and had been bed ridden for three months at the Njinikom Catholic Hospital after involving in an accident that damaged one of his legs. He received treatment and was getting better relatively and  was about leave the hospital. He was unable to pay his bills, reason why the brother, whose names this reporter could not get, went in search of money in order to pay the hospital bills. Stephen Awotum, from what he said before dying felt abandoned since his brother had over stayed probably in search for money. Unable to walk around except with the help of clutches since one of his legs damaged, Stephen saw no reason to live but to carry out the ultimate-take his own life.

To do this according to sources gathered from the hospital, Stephen started fidgeting and looking worried and distressed. No one could have suspected that Stephen was mulling over suicide. According them, Stephen expressed surprise over the brother’s delay.  Before those around him could open their eyes, Stephen had gone for a sharp knife they have been using in hospital for the past three months and stabbed himself with. The brisk intervention of nurses and doctors to safe him was futile as he gave up the ghost in the hospital theatre as doctors were battling to safe him.

The questions many are asking, is whether Stephen had other problems different from the one he advanced on his dying bed. It should be noted that at fifty plus, still unmarried and a leg damaged, Stephen might have seen no reason to live and become a liability for his family

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