A 25-year-old final year student of Department of Religion and Culture, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Samuel Elias, has allegedly died by suicide.
The deceased’s mother, Kate Elias, a member of the university staff, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that the incident happened on Monday around 5.30 pm in her house at Justina Eze Street, Nsukka.
She said she returned on the fateful day and found her son staggering. She immediately followed him to his room and began talking to him.
When he did not respond, she said she looked closely and discovered that his teeth had tightened up.
“As I looked around, I saw an empty Sniper bottle; at this point I raised alarm and my other children rushed to the room and we tried to give him red oil but his tightened teeth did not allow the oil to enter his mouth,” she said.
Elias was taken to Faith Foundation Hospital, Nsukka and was later referred to Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka, where he eventually died.
The mother of seven said her son could have died of depression owing to his inability to graduate from UNN since 2016 because of his final year project.
She also said her son had not been happy that his late father’s family had abandoned them since their father’s death.
Head of Department of Religion and Culture in UNN, Prof. Tagbo Ugwu, said he received the news with “shock and surprise.”
Enugu police spokesperson, Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed the incident and said police would investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.
Some weeks ago, a 400-level student of Department of English and Literary Studies in UNN, Chukwuemeka Akachi, also died by suicide.
