A 19-year-old girl, Timilehin Faith Opesusi, has died by suicide in the Odogunyan area of Ikorodu, Lagos State, after reportedly ingesting rodent poison following her performance in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The deceased, a native of Abeokuta, Ogun State, was living with her older sister in Lagos. According to sources familiar with the situation, she scored 190 in the UTME and had been disappointed with the result.
Neighbours described her as a reserved and respectful person. One of her close friends told The Nigeria Education News over the phone, “She said her result last year was better than this year’s.”
Events leading up to her death reportedly unfolded on Monday when she walked into her sister’s office and requested palm oil, claiming she had ingested something at home. Alarmed by her condition, the sister alerted others, and she was rushed to Kolak Hospital in Odogunyan.
During the journey to the hospital, the teenager reportedly admitted to taking rodenticide earlier in the day. Medical personnel at the hospital tried to resuscitate her but she was declared dead shortly after arrival.
In a tragic twist, just thirty minutes after her passing, an email arrived in her Gmail inbox notifying her of a provisional admission offer from an unnamed institution. The message was seen by her family members shortly after the news of her death.
Following the incident, her parents travelled from Abeokuta to Ikorodu to retrieve her body. She was later taken back home for burial, leaving relatives and neighbours in deep mourning.
Community members have expressed sadness and concern over the psychological effects of national examinations on students. Some also voiced anger at the outcome of the 2025 UTME, with widespread complaints over poor results.
