A heartbreaking tragedy has struck the Odogunyan community in Ikorodu, Lagos State, as 19-year-old Timilehin Faith Opesusi allegedly took her own life after scoring 190 in the recently released 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The incident, which occurred on Monday, May 12, 2025, has left her family, friends, and neighbors in deep mourning.
Timilehin, a native of Abeokuta, Ogun State, had been living with her elder sister in Odogunyan, Ikorodu, at the time of the incident. According to reports, the young girl was deeply disappointed with her UTME score of 190, which she believed was lower than her previous result and insufficient to secure admission to study Microbiology—a course she had passionately hoped to pursue. Overwhelmed by her perceived failure, Timilehin reportedly ingested a rodenticide known as ‘Push Out’ at her sister’s residence.
Eyewitnesses disclosed that Timilehin later visited her sister’s office, where she began exhibiting unusual behavior. She reportedly demanded palm oil in an attempt to alleviate the severe pains she was experiencing from the poison. Initially unaware of the gravity of the situation, her sister ignored the request, but Timilehin’s condition rapidly deteriorated. It was only after she confessed to ingesting the poison that her sister raised an alarm, prompting sympathizers to rush her to Kolak Hospital in Odogunyan. Tragically, she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
In a cruel twist of fate, a provisional admission message from JAMB arrived in Timilehin’s email just 30 minutes after her death, confirming her acceptance into a tertiary institution. The heartbreaking irony has left many in the community reeling, with some residents openly expressing frustration and anger towards JAMB, blaming the examination body for the pressures it places on young students.
Timilehin’s parents, upon receiving the devastating news, traveled to Ikorodu to retrieve their daughter’s remains. Her body has since been taken back to Abeokuta for burial, according to sources close to the family.
The incident has sparked renewed conversations about the intense pressure Nigerian students face during the university admission process. JAMB’s official statement on May 12 revealed that over 1.5 million candidates scored below the 200 benchmark typically required for university admission in the 2025 UTME, highlighting the competitive nature of the examination.
Mental health experts have long warned about the rising cases of suicide among Nigerian adolescents, often linked to academic stress and societal expectations. This tragic event underscores the urgent need for better support systems for young people, including access to counseling services and awareness campaigns to address mental health challenges.
The Odogunyan community remains in mourning, with many describing Timilehin as a bright and ambitious young girl whose life was cut short by the weight of her own expectations. As investigations continue, her story serves as a somber reminder of the importance of mental health awareness and the need for a more compassionate approach to supporting Nigeria’s youth in their academic journeys.
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