Date: 2018-12-08

The Management of the University of Ilorin on Friday said that investigations by the institution, revealed that its student, late Mr. Adigun Emmanuel, committed suicide as an eventual culmination of drug addiction.

The Director of Corporate Affairs of the university, Mr Kunle Akogun, made the revelation in a statement which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Ilorin.

Akogun stated that late Emmanuel of the Faculty of Agriculture "resorted to the unsavory action to ventilate his frustration over his failure in his final year project."

"Mr. Adigun Emmanuel Adewale of the Faculty of Agriculture, committed suicide last Thursday November 29, 2018," he explained.

He said that the university after a painstaking investigation revealed that late Adigun took his own life as an eventual culmination of his drug addiction.

The director further stated that the student must have unwisely adopted drugs to address the prolonged depression he suffered as a result of personal challenges he could not bear.

"Some close friends of the late Mr. Adigun revealed that the obviously depressed student had unsuccessfully attempted suicide thrice, having publicly expressed profound regrets on many occasions," he said.

Akogun said that the student had complained that it was his younger sister, who was sponsoring his education.

He said late Adigun had lamented that it would be too difficult for him to approach the same younger female sibling for the needed finances to complete his extended stay on campus.

The university spokesman added that the deceased, has a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.72 and failed results in seven different courses.

The director of corporate affairs of the institution further said that the performance accounted for late Adigun’s non-graduation in the last academic session.

Akogun said that the deceased was neither considered academically outstanding nor on the verge of completing any research project.

He added that it was clear that the late Adigun, who hailed from Oyo State, never completed the series of enabling experiments that would have given him the data needed for his research.

"He took his life while he was expected to complete registration formalities, a prerequisite for his retake of all the courses he had earlier failed.

According to him, a senior academic staff of the deceased's Department of Agronomy got wind of Adigun's psychological problem through their interactions.

He further said the staff tried to offer assistance to him to avert the regrettable consequence.

Akogun said, "His alleged drug addiction, courtesy of peer group influence, frustrated all the rehabilitative assistance that was rendered to him to the awareness, admiration and appreciation of his family members."

He explained that some of the measures taken by the university management to soothe the nerves of the deceased included a four-week intensive rehabilitation at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.

"Other assistance includes the facilitation of hostel accommodation for him on campus through the recommendation of the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Gbadebo Olaoye, and a soft loan granted him.

Akogun added that despite all these rehabilitative efforts the deceased still resorted to the act of suicide to the consternation of all those who had supported him in one way or the other.

According to him, media reports that the suicide had something to do with the deceased's academic challenges at the University of Ilorin were false.

The spokesman warned that the student’s suicide is a "manifested testimony" of the increasing danger of drug addiction and peer pressure.

"While the university commiserates with the late Mr. Adigun’s family over the unfortunate incident, it appeals to parents, relations and guardians to be up and doing in their responsibilities to their children and wards," he said.

He added that such care was necessary so that their children would grow up to live a decent life.

(NAN)