By Lukman Amusa and Victor Awoleye
The Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in Osun State has been thrown to mourning following the death of a student identified as Opeyemi Grace Dara.
The deceased who was in the Department of English and Literature was said to have committed suicide after a dose of lethal substance popularly known as snipper.
Although the details of the incident were still sketchy, our correspondent learnt that she took her life following the poor academic performance.
But the authorities of the institution confirmed that the deceased committed suicide due to depression occasioned by poor academic records.
A copy of her academic records obtained from her page on the school portal and made available to our correspondent indicated that she had many outstanding courses.
She was said to be having five outstanding courses and 12 Special Electives.
A source said, “A student in the Department of English and Literature at OAU in Ile-Ife, Opeyemi Grace Dara, whose set finished their final year exams just last semester has committed suicide through the consumption of the notorious snipper on Friday. She was in the last graduating set; however, she had some outstanding courses. The department in mourning mood.”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of OAU, Segun Olanrewaju, confirmed the incident to our correspondent and promised that the institution would investigate the incident and make its findings public.
He also warned 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 just 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 have passed through the same situation and circumstances and came out clean. Now, suicide can never be an option and people, especially the 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.
“So, those who are brilliant are not brilliant because they are brilliant. It is circumstantial; so we sympathise with her parents, guardians, friends, and well-wishers. The University will get to the root of the incident and get back to the public.”
