OAU Confirms Medical Student’s Suicide After Failing Exams Twice

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has confirmed the death of Ajibola Ibitayo, a Part Two student of the Faculty of Dentistry, who reportedly died by suicide after failing his examinations for the second time.

In a statement released on Thursday, the university’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju, revealed that Ibitayo, with matriculation number DEN/2021/023, took his own life after the results of the last semester were released on Wednesday.

“The entire community of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has been thrown into mourning following the death of a Part Two student of the Faculty of Dentistry.

The student, identified as Ajibola Ibitayo… committed suicide after learning that the results of the last semester examinations, released yesterday, would require him to repeat Part Two for another academic year. He had already been repeating Part Two during the last session,” the statement read in part.

Olarewaju added that the student, whose father is a medical doctor, reportedly injected himself at his family’s residence in Ejigbo, Osun State.

Reacting to the tragic incident, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Simeon Bamire expressed his condolences and urged parents and guardians to help young people understand that setbacks are part of life and not a reason to give up.

“We appeal to parents and guardians to instil in their children and wards the understanding that temporary setbacks in the pursuit of success are part of life and not the end of it,” he said.

Bamire encouraged students to see failure as an opportunity to reassess and pursue renewed paths to success, rather than a final judgment on their future.

He concluded by praying for comfort for the bereaved family, the Faculty of Dentistry, the College of Health Sciences, and the entire university community, asking God to grant them the strength to bear the irreparable loss.