Two UNILAG Students Commit Suicide in One Month

The family and friends of a student of University of Lagos simply
identified as Seun, who took his own life on Tuesday 19th January 2013
are still in shock over his death. Suicide among Nigerian youths is
not a common occurrence. It is therefore disturbing to read the Punch
report which claims that two undergraduate students of UNILAG have
committed suicide in the last one month. The first one happened
earlier in the year.
On New Year's Eve, Damilola Durojaiye, a Computer Science student of
the university, also allegedly committed suicide at his parents'
Akute-Ajuwon, Ogun State home. The 19-year-old was said to be a
brilliant student with a cumulative grade point average of about 3.9.
He reportedly stayed at home when his parents went for the cross-over
service, only for them to come back and see his body dangling from
where he hanged himself. The Police Public Relations Officer in the
state, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, said at the time that a suicide note was
found where Durojaiye hung himself .
The circumstances surrounding Seun's death is also quite mysterious.
He lived with his aunt in Mafoluku, Lagos, where the incident was said
to have occurred. When Punch visited his family, Seun's aunt was still
in shock.
" Please, I cannot say anything because this is a big tragedy for us
," she was quoted as saying.
However, some neighbours spoke about his character and the events of
the day he died.
" I knew he was a student. I just did not know heattended UNILAG. He
was an easy going and quiet man. We probably would have been close if
he was not the quiet type. The day of the incident, I just got home
from an errand and I was told Seun had been rushed to a hospital. When
I asked what happened, I was told he went out to buy a substance and
locked himself inside his room.
"I still don't know what happened to make him take that action. I
think those in the house when he went to buy the substance must have
suspected he was going to do something drastic because they later
forced the door open, but he had already ingested the substance he
went to buy. They quickly took him to the hospital," a young woman
told Punch.
It was learnt that Seun died later that evening in the hospital.
Another resident in the area described him as "a very quiet young man
of about 27 years old."
Unlike Damilola who left a suicide note, Seun's suicide remains
shrouded in mystery as it may never be known what drove him to commit
suicide. Moreso, the police have said no report was made about it as
the Public Relations Officer of the Airport Police Command, Lagos,
Dennis Ifijen told Punch that they have no record of the case.
Their deaths are very sad and we pray their souls rest in peace.
Source: bellanaija