Stemming suicide among students

Recently, Emmanuel Adedeji, a 200-level student of Management and Accounting of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife,  committed suicide.

The deceased was said to have left a suicide note after he took a poisonous substance which led to his death. Nobody knew why he took his life.

Prior to that, Daniel Mba, a 300-Level student of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) jumped from the third floor of a storey building to end his  life, after he was allegedly caught cheating during an examination.

Also, in March, a  200-Level student of the Department of History and Diplomacy at the Federal University, Otuoke (FUO), Bayelsa State, Arikekpar Lucky,  allegedly committed suicide to escape being tagged  a failure in academics by his family.

Why  suicide  is on the rise among undergraduates 

Students have highlighted different reasons  for the high rate of suicide among undergraduates across the country. According to them, frustration, unnecessary pressure, hopelessness, financial constraints and academic failure, among others, are reasons for suicide.

For Clement Adoyi Pius,  a final year  Mass Communication student of  Bayero University  Kano, suicide among undergraduates has  become alarming as a result of frustration linked to economic hardship. He said students who could not cope financially in school  could resort to suicide.

Aso Sirleem, a student of  IBB University, Lapai, Niger State, said:  “Students commit suicide in most, if not all cases, because of acute depression.  This  might be from a lecturer’s demand for sex. It could be from torment by fellow students (cultists) or being in need of something you cannot afford. It could also be from inability to score an expected grade or by getting involved in a toxic relationship.”

Yusha’u Abdullahi, a 300-Level student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said when attention is not paid to mental health, it could result in suicide.

He said: “There are issues that could lead students to commit suicide if care is not taken.  Carry overs accompanied with ridicule from  family, mental disorder, stressful school life and so on are factors. Also, when a student  commits  suicide in the presence of his colleagues, it has a psychological effect on them.”

Adeyeye Tosin, a  200-Level Mass Communication student  of Osun State University, said lack of sound mind to withstand pressure in school could result in a student taking his life.

Tosin Adebayo, a final year student at  the Department of Computer Science, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, said  life was difficult in the country.  He lamented that studying in a  nation like ours  was stressful and demanding on its own.  He blamed high rate of undergraduate suicide on inadequate mental health awareness in the country.

Another student, Tinuke Ayoola,  said: “Students  commit suicide because they  don’t believe  in themselves. Some give up easily, they do not  want to fail and relearn;  they do not want to try again. They do not think about the second step to achieve what they want. When they are unable to achieve what they want, they think that is the end of life. And they also tend to compete with people who are higher in rank than them, either in academics, riches or any kind of achievement. They should accept that God created us differently. Some are good, some are average and some are at the lowest. They should be content without being complacent. However, thoughts of suicide should not be entertained.”

Simeon Oluwagbemiga Sonayon, a Sociology student of Lagos State University (LASU), said: ”The rate at which students commit suicide nowadays was alarming. Sadly, depressed individuals are left without getting the needed help. That leads to continuous suicidal thoughts. When the  thoughts get too much  for them to handle,  they act on them.

“Nevertheless, suicide is not a way out. It is hard to understand the motive behind a leader of tomorrow taking his/her own life. According to research, the highest number of students who commit suicide are the ones with low self-esteem. They find it difficult to deal with  mistakes, failures and disappointments.

“Furthermore, a student with low self-esteem, and who has not lived up to expectations academically, might feel like there is  no need to live. Most students put in a great deal of efforts in their respective courses to have excellent grades and compete in the labour market. But not meeting  the target is a ‘downfall’ to some of them. Just like in the case of a 300-Level student in a varsity who committed suicide recently because he was caught and penalised for  examination malpractice.

“Brilliant students with no financial support also resort to suicide because of hopelessness. A student in Ogun State  drank a poisonous chemical called ‘Sniper’ because his family could not finance his education after he did UTME twice in two years.”