One Shuaibu Yushau from Borno State, on Monday, scaled the mast of the Abuja Broadcasting Corporation, otherwise known as Aso Radio and Television Services, on a suicide mission.

A staff member of the corporation told Peoples Gazette that Mr Yushau left a suicide note at the foot of the mast, explaining his actions were triggered by the economic hardship occasioned by President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies since assuming office on May 29, 2023.

In the suicide note shared with The Gazette, the man, who wore red gloves, said his action was “On behalf of fellow Nigerians” and made five demands.

Viral videos showed workers at the corporation, located at Katampe Hill, thrown into confusion at the sight of the man, who asked that Mr Tinubu’s government reverse some economic policies.

The note read, “Government should return fuel subsidy; Government should declare a state of emergency in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, and Borno on insecurity matters and take immediate action to clear terrorism in the above-listed states and the country at large.”

“Government should open borders for food importation in order to eradicate food shortages in the country; Government should immediately respond to the problem of out-of-school children, which is increasing rapidly.”

Mr Yushau, who decried that those were major problems bedevilling Nigeria, expressed his readiness to sacrifice his life to serve as the solution to the issues and urged fellow citizens to join him in the “riot”.

However, emergency responders such as the Fire Service, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and other government officials were at the scene, appealing to him to descend from the mast. They assured him that the government would meet his demands.

After yielding to several appeals, he descended from the mast with witnesses cheering him on before he was apprehended by the police when he got to the ground.

Giving an update on the incident, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spokesperson, Nkechi Isa, told The Gazette that Mr Yushau will undergo counselling.

Ms Isa said, “He’s okay. We were able to counsel him and get him to abort his mission. We’re going to counsel him through the Social Development Secretariat.”

The FCT police public relations officer, Josephine Adeh, also confirmed that persuasion prevented Mr Yushau from suicide at about 9:10 a.m.

“With much professional persuasion from the police operatives, the man, later identified as Shuaibu Alhaji Yushau, was prevented from taking his own life.

“He claimed to have been observing the mast for about a week before deciding to climb it. Suspect is presently in police custody and in a stable condition,” Ms Adeh said.