Gabriel Dike, From Felix Ikem, Nsukka and Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
What began like a child’s play in 2016, when a male student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Jacobs Eniola, committed suicide by drinking sniper, has spread to other tertiary institutions and even secondary schools in the country.
Jacobs, a 300 level student in the Department of Microbiology died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and since then, it has been suicide galore as students gulp sniper as if they are taking soft drink.
The wave of death via sniper in tertiary institutions is now a source of concern to heads of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education as well as parents. Worried by this rash of death, stakeholders have called for close monitoring of students and pupils by their colleagues, heads of departments, students unions and parents to check the raising increase of depressed students drinking sniper or other chemical substances.
SUICIDE CASES OF STUDENTS
A female student of UNILAG, Ariyibi Ayomide in April 2017 committed suicide by drinking sniper in her room. The 100 level student of Department of Employment Relations and Human Resources had issues with her room mates over missing items. Her mum came to the campus, settled the matter and took Ayomide home to allow peace reign in the room but she drank sniper at home and later died at LUTH.
For UNILAG, the wave of death by sniper continued as a 22-year-old student, Adeniyi Ogundejo, died and his colleagues alleged he took the insecticide. The final year student of Microbiology was pronounced death at the hospital.
In June 2019, a secondary school student of Sedar College, Baruwa, Ipaje, Lagos, Favour Ekemedili died at the LUTH after it was discovered that the juice she took contained sniper. In April 2019, a female student of Kogi State University, committed suicide as she drank sniper because she was jilted by the boy friend. The 100 level student, Ayingba Michael was in the Department of Philosophy.
It was the turn of Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) in the wave of suicide. The state police command confirmed that 34-year-old Joseph Mayowa took his life in May 2019 over love gone sour. Police disclosed that Mayowa, a part time HND 11 Hospitality Management Technology student gulped sniper after a quarrel with his girl friend of nine years. He took the poisonous chemical and was rushed to the hospital but later died.
On May 2019, Damilola Adegoke, another student of LASPOTECH committed suicide after she drank sniper. The Business Administration student took the chemical at home and was found by her mother with the insecticide bottle lying beside her.
A medical student of Benue State University, Inalegwu Idoko, in July 2015, crashed his car and died after he threatened to commit suicide. He spent 10 years in the institution and was asked to withdraw for failing to pass a re-sit examination.
The wave of suicide continued in April 2019 as a female student of University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in the Department of Chemical Engineering, died after he gulped sniper. The 100 level student, Hikmat Gbadamosi, was alleged to be battling with depression. Her door was forced opened and she was found dead with a container of sniper by her side.
RECENT UNN SUICIDE CASES
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), is not left out as it recently recorded two cases in five weeks. On June 17, 2019, a final year student, Elias Samuel, 25, Department of Religion and Culture, allegedly committed suicide by drinking sniper.
It was learnt that Samuel ought to have graduated since 2016 but could not due to carryovers in some courses and his inability to write his project. His mother, Kate, said her son was only complaining about his school project and one other course that was holding him back to graduate, and since the death of his father in 2015, none of his family members from Ihechi Owa in Arochukwu Local Government, Abia State, asked about him and his siblings.
However, a close friend of Samuel who pleaded anonymity said he had known him for the past five years as quiet and not a talking type: “He never showed us any sign of taking his life. The only thing I observed about him lately was that his physical appearance always showed that he was depressed. But he hardly shared his thoughts and feeling with his friends that often.”
On May 13, 2019, Chukwuemeka Akachi, a 400-level student of Department of English and Literary Studies of UNN, allegedly took his life at an uncompleted building inside the university after taking two bottles of sniper.
It was reported that Akachi posted a suicide note on his personal Facebook Account few hours before he committed the act. The Education Report gathered that Akachi had in the past attempted to kill himself by taking kerosene and fuel in two different occasions but some how he managed to survive.
Beluchukwu Stella, a class mate of Akachi said: “Akachi was a very brilliant student. He excelled in all his academics/ school works. He was one of the intelligent/brilliant students in the department, if not the most brilliant.
“Even when he was still in second year, he did assignments and project work for the final year students. He started paying his school fees in second year by himself. His life was that of solitude. He was a good person. I think he lacked family love judging from the way he spoke sometimes.”
Asked if she saw any sign of suicide in him. Stella: “Yes, he showed signs of suicide, the sign was all over him. He even wrote a poem he titled ‘How To end a Life.’’
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
Dean, Students Affairs, UNN, Prof. Ifeanyi Ofoefule, said the management of the institution is concerned about the pockets of suicide attempts and suicides among the students: “UNN is not relenting in its effort to make sure that they console and counsel any of her students facing academic, financial challenges or any form of depression.
“Recently, we organised a symposium tagged, ‘Suicide is Not an Option’, where we brought in some celebrities who shared their life experiences with the students, and enlightened them on how to overcome depression and other challenges in life.
“Already, UNN disbursed over N2million to upset school fees of some students who are indigent. Again, we have attracted helps from organisations and friends of the school, all in efforts to cushion off pressure and depression suffered by these poor students that mostly at times push them into committing suicide.
“We have opened a register in collaboration with the students union that any student found having challenges in his or her academics or finances, they should report to us.
“Our counselling unit has been up-and-doing in its effort to make students understand that failure is not the end of life, and to let them know that the successful men they see today passed through a lot of difficult times in the stages of their life.”
OAU DEBUNKs SUICIDE CASE OF FINAL YEAR STUDENT
Contrary to the recent reports that a final year student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Opeyemi Dara, committed suicide due to poor academic performance after allegedly taking sniper, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede, said there was no proof of suicide and neither was her death due to poor academic performance.
He expressed disgust that her demise was linked to suicide and poor academic performance were mere insinuations and a figment of imagination by rumour mongers, bent on carrying negative reports about the university without clarification and justification.
Ogunbodede said the deceased, according to reports the university received, was allegedly in a poor health condition in her apartment on April 22.
The VC said after being taking to the health centre, she was, however, referred to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), where she was treated, discharged and later went home with her parents.
He added that it was when her parents brought her back to the OAUTHC about three months later and she had been readmitted at the Intensive Care Unit on Thursday, August 1, that she died the next day:
“The record we have is that her friends and colleagues said that they saw a sniper in her room. But we don’t have any record to say whether she took something or did not take anything.”
Ogunbodede reiterated that Dara had no reason to commit suicide due to poor academic performance because she was academically sound and had published two course-related books within one year (2018) which is a rare record by students. She had completed all her courses and was supposed to have graduated last semester.
He insisted that her close monitoring by the university was no longer possible since she did not report to school after she was treated in hospital and returned to her parents.
On the mechanism put in place by the university to checkmate suicide among students, the VC said the university had a very robust Students Advisory System Unit which has been in place for decades as well as dedicated guidance counsellors who attend to the students.
The VC, however, debunked allegation of remarks by Dara’s project supervisor which allegedly prompted her to commit suicide.
The chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), OAU chapter, Dr. Adeola Egbedokun, also disclosed that he was not aware of any negative remarks by the project supervisor.
Prof. Ogunbodede called on parents to be close to their children and wards and not assume that they have attained an age to be independent of their guidance and counselling.