The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has confirmed the death of a part-two medical student, Ajibola Ibitayo, who reportedly committed suicide.
A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, on Thursday, revealed that the student with the matriculation number DEN/2021/023 committed suicide after failing his examinations.
Olarewaju stated that the results of examinations were released on Wednesday, and it would have required Ibitayo to repeat Part Two for the second time.
“The entire community of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has been thrown into mourning following the death of a Part Two student of the Faculty of Dentistry.
“The student, identified as Ajibola Ibitayo (Matriculation Number: DEN/2021/023), committed suicide after learning that the results of the last semester examinations, released yesterday, would require him to repeat Part Two for another academic year.
“He had already been repeating Part Two during the last session.
“The student, whose father is a medical doctor, reportedly injected himself at his parents’ home in Ejigbo, Osun State,” the statement read partly.
Prof. Simeon Bamire, Vice-Chancellor of the University, expressed sadness over the occurrence and urged parents and guardians to instil in their children and wards the awareness that temporary failures in the pursuit of achievement are a normal part of life, not the end of it.
Bamire also urged students and young people to see failure as an opportunity to change their pathways to success and greater accomplishments.
He prayed that God Almighty would give the parents, family, faculty, College of Health Sciences, and university community the strength to bear the irreparable loss.