Residents of Morwari B Quarter Council in Torit town of Eastern Equatoria state were gripped by shock on Tuesday morning when a neighbor and headmaster at one of the primary schools in the area was found hanging dead in his house.
50-year-old Erneo Oduma Laslas was the headteacher of Christ Bright Academy, one of the best performing private primary schools in Torit town.
“The report came to us this morning (Tuesday) that one teacher, the headteacher at Christ Bright Academy hang himself to death so we sent a team to confirm and found that the late was hanging in his house, his name is Erneo Oduma 50 years from Lotuko of Lobira village," Eastern Equatoria state police spokesperson Maj. Justine Kleopus Takuru told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday.
He said initial reports indicate the deceased had separated from his wife and had complained of feeling unwell on Monday night.
“In the morning his son went to check on him in his room because he earlier complained of sickness, so the child discovered the father hang himself and he cried and returned to the mother. According to the investigations, we found that this man is married with two kids but they had a misunderstanding with this woman, they separated three years ago and they all stay separately. But this woman sometimes brings him food," he explained.
Major Kleopus urged people to find other means of resolving problems and avoid suicide.
Pious Lokoro, the chairperson for Christ Bright Academy management confirmed the demise of their headmaster and suspended the school for a day to mourn with the family.
I went there personally to the mortuary and I found he was laid there. Anyway, it is confirmed that he committed suicide after checkout by the police. Whatever made him to take out his life we don’t understand," he said.
The area chief at Morwari B Quarter Council Michael Obusuk says this was the second time this year his area registered suicide involving hanging
“I don’t know why this is happening in my area, maybe alcohol or what because this is now the second time someone hanged themselves in the area. The first one was a woman where the husband was suspected but later confirmed she hanged herself," Chief Obusuk said.
He advised his community members to speak out when they experience problems in their marriages and families so that appropriate solutions can be found.