A final-year student of the Department of Religion and Culture, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Samuel Elias, 25, has committed suicide by taking an insecticide, sniper.
The mother of the deceased, Mrs Kate Elias, an employee of the university, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the incident occurred on Monday, June 17, 2019, around 5.30pm in her house at Justina Eze Street, Nsukka, Enugu State.
Kate said, “I came back from work on that fateful day and discovered that the mood of my first child was bad and he was staggering when he came to collect a bottle of soft drink from the refrigerator.
“I followed him to his room and started talking to him but he could not respond, and when I looked closely, I discovered that his teeth had tightened up.
“As I looked around, I saw an empty sniper bottle; at this point, I raised the alarm and my other children rushed to the room and we tried to give him palm oil, but his tightened teeth did not allow the oil to enter his mouth.”
According to her, Samuel was immediately rushed to the Faith Foundation Hospital, Nsukka, from where he was referred to the Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka, where he eventually died.
The mother of seven said Samuel could have died of depression, noting that he had been lamenting his inability to graduate from the UNN because of his final project.
She added that her son had also been unhappy with the way his late father’s family had allegedly abandoned them.
Kate stated, “I know two things he usually complained about – his inability to graduate from the UNN since 2016 because of the project that he had not finished as his classmates had all gone for their National Youth Service Corps programme.
“Also, how his father’s family in Ihechiowa in the Arochukwu Local Government of Abia State has abandoned us after my husband died.
“Whenever he complained of these things, I usually advised him to trust God, who is capable of solving every problem.
“I do not know why he would go to this extent of committing suicide; I have seven children and he was my first child. It is still like a dream to me that my first child has died.”
Reacting to this incident, the Head of Department of Religion and Culture, UNN, Prof. Tagbo Ugwu, said somebody called to inform him of the incident.
“I received the news with shock and surprise. I will find out from his supervisor what is wrong with his the project that stopped him from graduating,” he said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer for the state, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed the incident and said the police would investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.
“The police are aware that Samuel Elias, a final-year student of the Department of Religion and Culture at the UNN, committed suicide on Monday by drinking sniper.
“The police will investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.”
About five weeks ago, one Chukwuemeka Akachi, a 400-level student of the Department of English and Literary Studies, UNN, ended his own life after reportedly taking a bottle of sniper.
