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A student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Opeyemi Dara, has reportedly committed suicide.
The deceased, a student in the Department of English, allegedly took a banned pesticide, Snipper.
Although the details of the incident were unclear as of Saturday, newsmen learnt that she took her life over poor performance.
A copy of her academic records obtained from her portal page showed that she had many outstanding courses (carryovers). She was said to be having five outstanding courses and 12 Special Electives.
A source in the university said, “A student in the Department of English, OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Opeyemi Grace Dara, whose set finished their final year exams last semester has committed suicide through the consumption of Snipper on Friday. But she had some outstanding courses. The department is in a mourning mood.”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Biodun Olanrewaju, confirmed the incident, saying the institution would investigate the incident and make its findings public.
He also advised students against taking their lives because of poor academic performance.
Olanrewaju said, “We sympathise with the parents and guardian of the deceased called Dara. We want our students and young ones to know that depression is not a thing they should encourage, no matter the situation or circumstance they find themselves.
“Some people in the past passed through same situation and came out clean. Now, suicide can never be an option and people, especially young ones, who believe that taking their own lives is an act of gallantry, should know that it is not.
“We want to appeal to students, particularly OAU students, to take things easy. Any child that fails, that is why the university says ‘you can rerun a course, you can resit a course’. People out there also face challenges and when you are in school, failure or repetition of a course or particular subject is also part of the challenges students must face.’’
A student of the university, Kolapo Olowoporoku, had in April committed suicide after he reportedly failed some courses.
Olowoporoku, a student of Computer Science Department, who ought to have completed his programme in the university two sessions earlier, took his life by taking a poisonous substance.
In 2017, a female student of the university identify as Mercy also committed suicide over poor result.
