Young man takes own life after alleged breakup

Arusha. A 32-year-old man, Elirehema Ernest Mollel, from Oldadai in Arusha Region has allegedly hanged himself in his house due to the alleged end of his relationship with his partner, a college student.

Mr Mollel, whose body was discovered hanging by a rope in his home, was found wearing a dress belonging to his partner identified as Bahati Gabriel, a resident of Dar es Salaam.

The circumstances surrounding his death have left many unanswered questions, with police continuing their investigations.

Confirming the incident, Arusha Regional Police Commander, SACP Justine Masejo, said the deceased’s body had currently been preserved at the mortuary of Mount Meru Referral Hospital in the region.

“The investigations are still ongoing to determine the cause of this tragic incident and to ascertain whether anyone else was involved in this matter,” SACP Masejo said.

The father of the deceased, Mr Ernest Mollel, shared his deep sorrow and described the recent struggles his son had been facing in his relationship.

“I tried to encourage them to take a break so that the girl could focus on her studies, but my son threatened to take his life if their relationship ended,” Mr Mollel said.

“I felt it was important to communicate with the girl’s parents to avoid any blame later on, but my son insisted that ending the relationship would also end his life,” he added.

The day before his son’s death, said Mr Mollel, he had received a troubling call from his son’s girlfriend, who informed him (Mr Mollel) that she and her partner were having some issues, and that she had planned to leave him

“I asked her to come and talk about the situation. She promised to do so in the morning,” Mr Mollel said.

However, when he tried to reach his son the following morning, he received the devastating news that he had hanged himself.

Upon hearing the tragic news, Mr Mollel said he had to rush to the scene, where he found his son still hanging. He immediately cut the rope in a desperate attempt to save him, but it was too late.

“In that room, we found a note that my son may have written, reading that he had decided to end his own life and that his partner should not be blamed for his action,” said Mr Mollel.

He said he loved her deeply, but that the decision to end their relationship and walk away from it was the end of his life,” Mollel said.

A well-respected young man

Eyewitness Jackson Ally, who knew the deceased, described him as a young man with a strong reputation. He was involved in several youth activities and was known to be reliable and hardworking.

“He never had problems with anyone. He worked as an electrician and ran his own shops in town. His partner had often visited him, and they had grown very close. I don’t know what went wrong,” Ally said.