Students of the Niger Delta University (NDU), Ammasoma in the Southern Ijaw Local Governmant Area of Bayelsa State, were left in shock on hearing that their colleague, Uzakah Ebiweni, has committed suicide after failing his examination.
It was gathered that the 300-level medical student dived into the Amassoma River and drowned before he could get help.
Few hours after Ebiweni’s body was recovered, Herald Nigeria gathered that another student attempted to kill himself by running into a fast-moving motorcycle was rescued by other students.
Ebiweni was said to be among the students disqualified by the institution after their results were released on Friday.
He reportedly found the development difficult to accept and was said to have dropped a hint about his suicidal intention through his WhatsApp status update.
He was said to have initially posted the picture of a lit candle and later changed it to that of a candle with its light blown out.
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Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer, NDU, Ndoni Ingezi, said Ebiweni’s body had been recovered and deposited in the Sabageria hospital mortuary.
Ingezi stated, “You know, it is a general practice that every student passes the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery exams before progressing to the next level of academic pursuit.
“But Ebiweni and 21 others failed beyond the level that they could be placed on academic probation for another academic year; so, they had to be withdrawn. So, in our usual practice, we did not break the news to the students until they had been invited for counselling.
“When Ebiweni was counselled and informed that he would be withdrawn from the college, he accepted the decision of the college in good faith and left, only to for the university to hear afterwards that the young man took his own life.”
Also lamenting the development, the first female President of the Federated African Medical Students’ Association, Esite Winifred, said, “Today, a medical student took his life after failing his professional exams. This brought back a lot of memories, especially the number of times lecturers used to spread negativity and discouragement at the initial phase of the medical school.
“Please, this should at least be a wake-up call to all students and lecturers in the faculty. It is not your destiny to demoralise young people who want certificates.
“Mentor and uplift them or be quiet. Nothing at the end of the day is worth dying for, especially not medicine and surgery.”