Nyeri man scales mosque minaret in suicide attempt

Residents and police officers try to assist Hussein Hassan, who had climbed to the minaret of the Jamia Mosque at Majengo in Nyeri where he perched for three hours. Attempts to convince him to come down fell on deaf ears. He attempted to jump to the ground and commit suicide before he was tied with a rope on his leg and went down through a lander. At one point Hassan attacked his rescuers with blows and kicks. PHOTO: KIBATA KIHU/STANDARD

 

NYERI: A 21-year-old man on Friday disrupted prayers at the busy Majengo mosque in Nyeri County after he climbed at the top of the mosque's minaret and threatened to take his own life.

The man, identified by the locals as Hassan Hussein caused a three-hour standoff that attracted hundreds of residents who begged him not to commit suicide.

Women who had come for the afternoon prayers, including Hussein's mother Hadija Wambui broke into tears as they pleaded with the young man to climb down from the over 20 feet tower.

Speaking to the press, Wambui said his son started showing signs of stress following the death of his younger brother late last year.

"His brother died after being hit by a billiard ball at a pool table centre in Nyeri town. He was preparing to sit for his KCPE exams, however the man who hit him was arrested and later set free," Wambui explained.

Some of his neighbours reported having seen him on top of the mosque's tower, which is 20 feet tall, as early as 10.00 am. They said he looked disturbed.

"We saw him scaling the tower but rarely thought he was up to something bad, only to realise later that he was determined to commit suicide," John Maina, a neighbour told The Standard.

He said he had seen the victim walking from his home at King'ong'o Estate and later saw him climbing the tower without being noticed.

Efforts by police officers from Nyeri police station to convince Hussein to abandon his mission and come down safety did not bore fruits.

They had to forcefully tie his legs with a rope and with the help of the members of the public, managed to bring him down using a ladder.

He was later bundled to a waiting police vehicle and taken to Central Police Station as a huge crowd which gathered pleaded with the police to be allowed to teach the young man a 'lesson'.