UI MEDICAL STUDENT DIES AFTER ALLEGEDLY INGESTING INSECTICIDE

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

A 300-level medical student of the University of Ibadan has died after allegedly consuming an insecticide on Sunday night.

The student, whose name was withheld, was reportedly found on the ground floor of Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall by a fellow student, foaming at the mouth and disoriented. He was said to have admitted to ingesting an insecticide identified as Sniper before losing consciousness.

Sources said that his roommates alerted hall authorities, who contacted the Students’ Union bus service to convey him to Jaja Clinic. He was initially stabilised with oxygen and intravenous fluids before being transferred to the emergency unit of the University College Hospital Ibadan, where he was placed on life support.

The hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Funmi Adetuyibi, confirmed the death on Monday.

“The boy passed away on Sunday evening. The student was brought in based on the report that he consumed Sniper, and the UCH responded accordingly. Sadly, he did not survive,” she said.

The student’s parents, who reside in Akure, Ondo State, were reportedly contacted before his death. During inquiries, they suggested the possibility of poisoning. However, his roommates maintained that he admitted to ingesting the substance and disclosed that he had recently become withdrawn, rarely attended classes and had been avoiding calls from his parents.

Meanwhile, the incident has sparked renewed concern from advocacy groups over the portrayal of suicide-related content online. The volunteer-driven Suicide Is No Solution Initiative condemned what it described as the growing trend of suicide-themed skits on social media.

The group’s statement followed an online feud between content creator King Mitchy and influencer VeryDarkMan, who appeared in separate skits allegedly consuming a substance described as bleach.

Project Coordinator, Toye Arulogun, stressed that suicide is a serious public health issue and should not be trivialised for entertainment.

“Suicide is a serious public health issue and should not be trivialised for online entertainment. Recent weeks have seen an upswing in reckless content promoting death by suicide, sometimes even linking brands to the act,” Arulogun said.

Advocates have urged greater sensitivity in content creation and increased awareness efforts to support individuals experiencing emotional distress.