Peter Omole is the younger brother of a 28-year-old Abuja-based photographer, Emmanuel Omole, who committed suicide. Peter tells EMMANUEL OJO on the tragic incident

Your The 28-year-old brother left a suicide note behind saying he had inner battles he was fighting. Did you have any idea what the battles were?

Not at all.

Were you close to him?

Yes, we were quite close but we lived apart.

Was he left alone?

Yes.

Was he married?

No not yet.

Was he in a relationship?

He had a relationship for about two and a half years. He ended the relationship about six months ago.

Did he tell you the reason he ended the relationship?

No, he didn’t tell me. I then discussed with the girlfriend to find out what had happened and she told me that my brother had messed up. He said he was no longer interested and he ended the relationship. I was still with the girlfriend yesterday (Tuesday). She confirmed that she had received a message from my late brother before his death, apologizing that he was sorry for the pain he had caused her.

How would you describe your brother’s temperament and personality?

He was jovial but there were some things he didn’t tell people about. He kept his personal things to himself. His best friend was also surprised because he didn’t tell him.

He did not reveal his secrets. He kept things to himself. When we were still living together, he usually gave us the basics but he never let us into his personal life. He only talked about his intentions to buy clothes, shoes, etc., nothing more. He didn’t say anything that had to do with his life. After I got new outfits, he just told me to come get the old ones.

Did he have a large or a small circle of friends?

He had very few friends.

Males or females?

They are mostly males. He only had one friend.

How did you find out he was dead?

When he contacted me, he was still in pain. He was going through a lot of pain the moment he messaged me. He said, “Little brother, I’m sorry. I was thinking of staying longer but that is no longer possible. Please take care of our mom. Immediately I read the message, I was surprised and wondered what could have happened. I thought about what could have prompted my brother to send me such a message. So, I called my mom because my mom’s location is a bit closer to where he was. I told her to be on her way to him that I would meet her there. My mother immediately left to meet him and when she arrived the door was locked. After knocking a lot on the door, he only managed to get up to open the door for her and right after that he fell down and they took him to the hospital.

When we got to the first hospital, they said he was not responding quickly to treatment, so they referred us to the airbase hospital. We took him there immediately by car. He improved a bit at that time. He even said that he wanted to eat and do many other things. They gave him a bath and his condition improved. I went home to get him things. But while I was on the way, my aunt gave me a distress call, telling me that her condition was getting worse; that he could no longer speak. The Air Force Base Hospital had to release him and said we should take him to National Hospital Abuja. When he arrived at the national hospital, they confirmed his death.

Earlier reports indicated that he had taken an insecticide. What kind of insecticide was it?

He took Sniper.

How did you confirm this?

We found him in his room. When he was able to speak to the air base hospital, after responding to treatment, he said himself that he drank two 50ml bottles of Sniper. The doctor then asked him why he was drinking it, he said he didn’t know. He himself did not know why he drank it. That’s what confused us because the doctor asked him three times, trying to find out the motive behind the action, but he said he didn’t know.

What were his last words?

I was not at his bedside when he died; I was on my way back to get him things. I left him with my mother, my friend, my aunt and the doctor. I had really hoped that he would survive all of this. The last thing he said was a question; he asked if he could do it. That’s what my aunt told me.

What was your last meeting with him before that?

We communicated only via WhatsApp. It was a day before the day of the incident. I was also receiving treatment from then on. He chatted with me to find out how I felt. The next message he sent was the day the unfortunate event happened. He said he was sorry he couldn’t stay long. He also sent me a video of him crying in pain after taking the Sniper. This was before he was taken to hospital.

What about his photography business?

At that critical moment, he texted me with all of his passwords and PINs. He also told me about his camera that was with his friend, that I had to go get it.

What about their bank details?

Yes, he gave me all that too but he withdrew all the money from his account just a day before that day.

Do you have any idea how he used the money?

I can’t say anything about it. I couldn’t find out. The only things I had access to were his account, his phones and his laptop.

How long had he been in the profession of photographer?

He had been in the business since 2020. That’s when he started doing it on his own, when he got his own camera and all the other gear. He was totally alone. He also went looking for work at events or places where his services were needed.

What was he doing before?

He did the Bet9ja business, even until his death. He was just using photography work to support himself.

What level of education has he reached?

High school leaving certificate. He got it in 2015 and he was planning to take the UTME next year, in order to gain admission to the university. He told me he had some money he could use to sponsor himself for the departure.

How did your parents receive the news of his death?

My mother was very shocked and surprised. She imagined what could have pushed him to do such a thing. She asked him but he couldn’t tell her at the time.

And your father ?

He is not there. He was not in Abuja when it happened. He was in Osun, so I was the only man there. I must have been a man.

Do you have any idea if he incurred some form of business debt or something?

What he told me in the message he sent was that he owed nothing to anyone. I don’t think he was in debt but other than that, I don’t know. Even the rent for his house will expire in January next year, so he still had plenty of time with his rent.

What kind of relationship did he have with your father before that?

Mom and Dad called her regularly.

Was he closer to your father or your mother?

He wasn’t close to dad but they usually talked on the phone. My father has lived in Osun for 10 years. So they normally talked on the phone and I didn’t get involved. Dad is no longer with us.

What role did your late brother play in the family finances?

The main responsibility he took on was taking care of my mother. He took care of her and got things for her on a weekly basis. I usually support in my own way too.

What was his place in the family?

He was the first son but the second child. I have an older sister who is married with children. She is the first child in the family. I am his immediate and last younger brother. We are only three.

Was he buried?

Yes. He was buried in a cemetery near our house.

Who took responsibility for his burial and all that?

His pastor and a few people he was close to.

Was he interned in the church?

Yes. He was engaged. He played the talking drum in the church.

Do you know if he confided in the pastor?

The pastor was also surprised. He didn’t say anything to the pastor. It was only said that on the Sunday before the week of his death he went to church, took pictures of himself with the intention of changing his profile picture because he was wearing one of his newly cut clothes. So the pastor was also surprised.

What other skills did he have besides photography and music?

He was also a computer operator. He knew how to draw on the computer.

How did his church members receive the news?

They were crying. They were also surprised, saying how could such a calm person do this. They were in shock when they heard the news.