…another survives suicide attempt
By Ahmed Ajikobi with agency report
Students and management of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa in Kwara State have been left mourning following a reported case of suicide by a student of the institution.
It was gathered that a National Diploma 1 student, Civil Engineering Department, Ridwan Ajiboye, drank a poisonous substance suspected to be sniper and eventually died.
Ajiboye, the son of a traditional title holder in Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State, decided to terminate his own life after he was allegedly embarrassed by one of his lecturers, who gave him some handouts to sell to his course mates.
The Public Relations Officer, Students Union Government of the institution, Olayinka Owolabi, when contacted on the telephone at the weekend, confirmed the sad incident but said nobody knew why the Ajiboye killed himself.
He said, “Some of his neighbours heard his cry and rushed to his room where they met him gasping for breath. He was taken to the hospital but he eventually died..
“They said he took poisonous substance but we do not know what he took and nobody can say why he took the substance.”
He said the remains of the student had since been buried at his hometown, stating that his parents said they were not interested in investigating the circumstances that surrounded his death.
Some days after Ajiboye’s death, another ND student of the Department of Estate Management, Maryam Fasasi, allegedly attempted suicide.
Fasasi, who also reportedly drank an insecticide was rescued and revived at a hospital.
She was said to have been taken to hospital where she was treated and was discharged on Saturday.
A student of the school informed newsmen that Maryam misplaced N45,000 which was the proceeds from handouts given to her to sell by one of her lecturers and she attempted to kill herself because of this.
The Public Relations Officer of the polytechnic, Olayinka Iroye, said he was aware of Ajiboye’s case, saying the management of the polytechnic took him to some hospitals “but he eventually died.”
He said nobody knew why he decided to take his life while stating that the deceased was a brilliant student as shown by his academic records.
He, however, said the management was not aware of the case of attempted suicide.
Efforts to get the reaction of the spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi proved abortive as he did not attend to the calls of our reporter. Similarly, response to the text message set to his mobile phone was still being awaited.
The message set to Okasanmi 8:44 pm last night, reads; “ I learnt of one Offa Poly student who committed suicide over handout money. Please are you aware of the incident?”
