A student of the University of Ilorin, identified as Sanni Hameedat, has reportedly taken her own life after lending a significant sum of N500,000 to a boy she met on the social media platform, Snapchat.
The devastating incident was confirmed by Rubiks, the private hostel management where Hameedat resided before her tragic demise.
According to a statement released by the management on Wednesday, Hameedat was in the midst of her Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) program when the incident occurred.
The management revealed that the root cause of her death was closely linked to the pressure from individuals on the Snapchat platform who demanded the swift repayment of the borrowed funds. In addition, her brother’s inability to provide financial assistance added to her growing financial distress, ultimately leading to severe depression.
The statement issued by Rubiks reads, “The cause of suicide was traced to financial misappropriation. Her mother had entrusted her with a substantial amount of money. While using Snapchat, she encountered a young man and formed a friendship. When he revealed that his mother was fighting breast cancer and desperately required N500,000, the kind-hearted and empathetic woman chose to assist by lending him half of the N1 million her mother had given her, with the young man pledging to repay the borrowed amount.”
Tragically, when Hameedat’s mother needed the money back, the boy abruptly cut off all contact and blocked her. This left Hameedat deeply troubled. In order to compensate for the lacking N500,000, she turned to borrowing funds from multiple mobile applications.
Hameedat managed to gather N450,000 from these loan apps, combining it with her savings of N50,000 to meet the borrowed N500,000. The management further explained that she was found to have ingested a bottle of pesticide known as Sniper the previous night.
Her roommate, who had retired to bed early, discovered her in distress, foaming at the mouth, and vomiting.
In a desperate bid to save her, her roommate sought help, and Hameedat was rushed to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), where she was tragically declared dead.
The Student Union President, Ologundudu Adesunkanmi, also known as Royal Prince, confirmed the incident, stating, “The Vice-Chancellor and the Dean of Student Affairs are fully cognizant of the situation and have duly informed the relevant authorities to initiate a comprehensive investigation into the matter. It is disheartening that the university community has suffered such a tragic loss”.
