Man commits suicide after being fined N250k

A man in Ogun State has committed suicide after being asked to pay the sum of N250,000 as fine.

There was confusion and commotion at the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) premises in Ogun State, as a truck owner identified as Fatai Salami, allegedly committed suicide there.

It was gathered that Salami’s driver was apprehended on July 16 by TRACE officials in Abeokuta for flouting the COVID-19 rules in the state.

They accused him of not observing social distancing in his truck and also for not wearing a face mask.

The truck was seized and taken to TRACE premises, where the driver was fined N250,000.

It was reported that he called his boss, Mr Salami who came in and decided to sleep in the TRACE premises while pleading for his truck to be released.

Reports have it that Salami was able to raise N150,000 which was rejected by the officials.

He threatened to commit suicide but was not taken seriously. Salami reportedly drank an insecticide and died.

While commenting on the incident, the spokesperson of TRACE, Babatunde Akinbiyi, denied reports the man was a truck owner.

In addition, he denied the claims that the deceased was fined.

“The man was neither a truck driver nor a truck owner.

We only saw him there, he sat on the floor and the people asked him to stand up and as he stood up he brought out something from his pocket and drank it.

We later discovered that it was snipper that he drank.

He was rushed to the General Hospital, where he gave up the ghost.

The case has been reported to the police.” Akinbiyi said.