The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State has said that its student, Opeyemi Dara, consumed the insecticide named Sniper twice.
Dara, who was a student of the Department of English Language, Faculty of Arts, was found dead on Saturday.
In a statement on Monday by OAU spokesperson, Abiodun Olanrewaju, the institution said the suicide was not caused by poor academic performance as insinuated in reports.
Mr Olanrewaju said Dara, who resided off-campus, allegedly first took the sniper on April 22, 2019.
He said the deceased was taken to the University Health Centre where she was referred to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex.
“She was treated and discharged home to her parents. She was said to have been brought in by the parents and readmitted at the Intensive Care Unit of the OAUTHC last Thursday, August 1 after another dose of sniper, and she, unfortunately, died the next day. There are indications that she had an underlying medical condition,” the spokesman said.
He added: “Dara did not have any outstanding course except her project which she was yet to submit. The project couldn’t have been a challenge to her because she had authored two books – ‘Heels on Steel’ (a play) and ‘Let Me Run Mad Today’, (a poem) both published by the Words Rhymes and Rhythm Limited.
“Opeyemi Dara was admitted to the University in the 2014/2015 academic session and her graduating year result (2017/2018) indicate that she had passed all the departmental courses except, Research Method and Project (EGL 420).”
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, has appealed to all staff and students of the university to take advantage of the mechanisms put in place by the University administration in addressing all academic, social, medical and other challenges.
