Man commits su!cide in Cross River market, community demands N300,000 for cleansing ritual

A 56-year-old man identified as Anthony has committed su!cide at Obudu Main Market Square in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The incident was said to have occurred in the early hours of Sunday, August 23, 2026.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told punch that the deceased hailed from Bekwarra Local Government Area of the state, adding that residents were still in shock over the circumstances surrounding his d3ath.

“The incident took place in the early hours of Sunday. We are still in shock over the situation. He is a shoemaker and he is from Bekwarra Local Government Area,” the source said.

It was further gathered that the community is allegedly demanding N300,000 from the deceased’s family for cleansing, saying the circumstances surrounding his death were considered a taboo.

According to the eyewitness, the community demanded the money for the cleansing, stressing that it was necessary to enable the reopening of the market, which has since been shut.

The spokesperson for the Cross River State Police Command, Sunday Eitokpah, confirmed the incident on Monday, adding that the command had ordered an immediate investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the d3ath and rule out any possibility of foul play.

“We are aware of the incident. Police operatives visited the scene, documented the area, and recovered the body to the mortuary. The circumstances surrounding the death are yet to be established,” the PPRO said. 

The police spokesman urged residents to continue providing credible and timely information to the police, adding that further updates would be provided as the investigation progresses.

“I urge residents to continue providing credible and timely information to the police as further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses,” he added.