Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The sudden death of a senior officer of the Nigeria Customs Service has plunged the Boi District of Bogoro Local Government Area in Bauchi State into mourning, amid conflicting accounts over whether the 44‑year‑old succumbed to prolonged illness or took his own life after a period of depression and anxiety.
Mr. Lumi Elisha Gwamis, the eldest son of a former chairman of Bogoro LGA, Hon. Elisha Tula Gwamis, was found dead in unclear circumstances on Monday, June 8, 2026. Community members told reporters that Gwamis had reportedly suffered from poor health, anxiety and emotional distress in the period leading up to his death, with some residents speculating that he may have died by suicide. One local report claimed that the deceased had “battled depression and anxiety for years”.
Speaking during a condolence visit on Monday, the bereaved father strongly rejected the suicide narrative and insisted that his son had shown no signs of emotional crisis. “My son, Lumi, was healthy and hearty. None of us was aware of what he was about to do. It was later that we heard the bad news. It is very unfortunate, and all of us are full of sorrow,” Hon. Elisha Tula Gwamis told sympathisers.
The Nigeria Customs Service’s Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone D in Bauchi has also dismissed the suicide speculation. The unit’s Public Relations Officer, Umar Abdullahi, told journalists that the command had no official information to support such claims and was relying strictly on what the family had reported. “What we were told by the father was that he was sick,” Abdullahi said. According to him, Gwamis had been newly posted to the Bauchi unit from the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos. “He came to the office accompanied by his father to document, having been newly posted to the unit from Tin Can Island Port. He took annual leave, which he was entitled to, and left with his father,” Abdullahi explained. “Later, the father informed us that the officer had died. We cannot conclude that he took his own life because that was not what we were told. We work with verified information, not rumours”.
The Customs spokesman added that the deceased had not even fully resumed duties in Bauchi. “He only reported and went on leave. He was recently transferred to Bauchi. When he came and reported, before we posted him, his father told us that he was sick. The officer even said that when he returned, we would allocate an office for him to work,” Abdullahi stated. “We cannot confirm anything beyond what the family has communicated to us”.
Funeral arrangements have been scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, 2026, with a burial service expected to take place in Boi, Bogoro LGA. Gwamis is survived by his parents, Mrs. Saratu Elisha Gwamis and Hon. Elisha Tula Gwamis, as well as his siblings. Despite the Customs Service’s firm rejection of the suicide narrative, the speculation has fuelled grief and debate within the community, with many residents calling for greater awareness of mental health challenges among young Nigerians. As of Wednesday morning, the exact circumstances surrounding Gwamis’ sudden death remained unresolved.
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