Man, 25, commits suicide in Ilorin for losing football bet

A 25-year-old man is said to have committed suicide in Ilorin after losing out in a bet over the result of a European Champions League match. The incident is said to have occurred in Oko-Erin area of the town after the return leg match between FC Barcelona of Spain and AS Roma of Italy played […]

A 25-year-old man is said to have committed suicide in Ilorin after losing out in a bet over the result of a European Champions League match.

The incident is said to have occurred in Oko-Erin area of the town after the return leg match between FC Barcelona of Spain and AS Roma of Italy played in Italy last Tuesday.

The deceased was reported to have engaged in a bet with another bettor, placing a motorcycle in his possession for the deed.

He was said to have bet that Barcelona who were leading by 4-1 in the first leg would go through to the semi-final of the championship.

However, the match ended 3-0 in favour of AS Roma making the aggregate result 4-4 with Roma qualifying for the semi-final at the expense of Barcelona by virtue of away goals rule.

Sources said the result left the deceased losing the motorcycle to his opponent in the bet. It was further gathered that the deceased was using the motorcycle for commercial purposes and that it was his main source of livelihood. Other sources however said the motorcycle was owned by someone else but that the deceased only had it in his custody.

Spokesman of Kwara State Police Command, Ajayi Okasanmi, who confirmed the suicide, however, said it was not in connection with match betting.

He said report with the police indicated that the man committed suicide because of huge debt on him. “The man was said to have incurred debt here and there,” he said.

He explained that the deceased took his life by hanging himself from a ceiling fan in his apartment.