Poly Student Commits Suicide After Gambling Losses
Samuel Adegoke, a National Diploma II student of Electrical Electronic Engineering at the Federal Polytechnic in Ilaro, Ogun State, tragically took his own life. It is believed that he consumed a substance suspected to be an insecticide after losing not only his own school fees but also that of a friend to online betting. The incident occurred on Monday, coinciding with the preparation for the first-semester examination, leaving his colleagues in shock and grief.
Student Commits Suicide After Losing School Fees to Online Betting
A tragic incident unfolded at the Federal Polytechnic in Ilaro, Ogun State, as a student named Samuel Adegoke took his own life after losing his school fees to online gambling. Reportedly, he used his own funds for betting and also deceived his roommate to access his bank’s mobile app and gamble with the money intended for the roommate’s school fees. The Deputy Registrar of the school’s Public Relations, Sola Abiala, confirmed the incident, stating that Adegoke’s actions were driven by the realization that both he and his friend would be unable to sit for the upcoming examination due to their unpaid fees.
Efforts to Save Student Who Committed Suicide Were Unsuccessful
According to the Deputy Registrar, Sola Abiala, the parents of the deceased student were informed about the tragic incident. They revealed that the late son had previously faced a similar situation in the previous academic session, leading his father to send money for his fees. Unfortunately, the father expressed regret that he was not aware of the latest incident and would have paid for it if he had known.
In a heartbreaking turn of events, the father declined to take possession of his son’s body, expressing an inability to bring it back home. Instead, he requested the school authorities to handle the burial arrangements.
The President of the Polytechnic Student Union, Thanni Abdullahi, also confirmed the incident and expressed deep sorrow that the efforts made to save the student’s life did not succeed.
According to the Polytechnic Student Union President, Thanni Abdullahi, the incident unfolded when the deceased student and his friends, including his roommate, were returning from a night class. One of the friends received an alert on his phone, indicating that his father had sent him his school fees. The deceased student saw this and asked his friend to call his own father for his school fees as well.
The deceased student then took his friend’s phone, stating that he wanted to check something. However, he used the opportunity to access his friend’s bank account and transferred the money that was meant for the friend’s school fees.
The roommate discovered the missing money when he reached the point of paying his school fees. Upon contacting the deceased student, the latter confessed to using the money for gambling. He assured his friend that he would find a way to repay the amount by the end of the day. However, when the friends returned home later, they found the deceased student had consumed an insecticide.
In response to the tragic incident, the South West Coordinator of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Zone D, Adejuwon Olatunji, emphasized the need for students’ unions to implement guardian and counseling programs to raise awareness about the consequences of suicide. He expressed sadness over the incident and extended condolences to the family of the deceased, as well as the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro Students’ Union, while hoping such incidents would not recur.Adejuwon Olatunji stressed the importance of the students’ union and the school taking responsibility to organize and reactivate guardian and counseling programs. These programs are crucial in educating and sensitizing students about the dangers and reasons why suicide should never be considered as an option. It is essential to prioritize the mental health and well-being of students and provide them with the necessary support systems to prevent such tragic incidents.
