A student of the University of Ilorin identified as Elijah Jude Anuoluwapo, has reportedly committed suicide early hours of Thursday by taking illicit drug substances.
It was gathered that the deceased, popularly known as Jude, died in the University of IIorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), where he was rushed by his colleagues for medical attention.
It was also gathered that the deceased who would have turned 27 years by next month was a 400 Level student of English Language, majoring in Literature in the Department of English of the university.
The victim was said to have been frustrated by alleged rejection by his members of his immediate family after the reported death of his mother.
According to a close friend of the deceased, “His father had abandoned his mother since she was carrying Jude’s pregnancy which later led to his mother’s death out of depression. Jude was raised by his maternal grandmother who later died last year of cancer complications. The development had become the main factor that had given him severe depression and frustration and made him to attempt suicide twice before the last one that later led to his death earlier on Thursday morning.
“Jude was a very brilliant student and even one of the very best with mastery of languages in the whole of the university campus. Many of us pleaded with him and even reffered him to the school counselling unit after the second unsuccessful attempt which was about three weeks ago. It came to our surprise that he later proceeded with another attempt around 8:15pm Wednesday evening. We actually tried to save his life as usual, but to no avail as he finally gave up ghost earlier today in the hospital. If he didn’t die, he should have been one of the very best writers of the next generation”, the close friend lamented.
Some other course mates of the deceased, who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune, described him as a brilliant student who killed himself as a result of depression.
While some of his colleagues hailed his braveness and perseverance, some others blamed him for considering suicide as option despite several attempts to rescue him from untimely death.
“Many people quickly came to his rescue, most especially class mates to save his life as they promptly moved him to the school clinic and later to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) where he later died out of inadequate treatment because medical doctors were not readily available on duty due to the strike ongoing action”.