19-year-old UTME candidate commit suicide after scoring 190 in JAMB

In a heartbreaking turn of events, a 19-year-old Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate, Opesusi Faith Timilehin, has died by suicide in Lagos State after reportedly consuming a poisonous substance upon receiving her Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) result.

The incident occurred on Monday in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, where Timilehin had been living with her elder sister.

Sources say the young woman had scored 190 in the just-released UTME results, a score she found disappointing compared to her previous attempt in 2024, which had yielded a higher score.

According to a report by The Guardian, Timilehin ingested a chemical known as “Push Out,” a locally sold rodenticide, in what appears to be a reaction to her perceived academic failure.

The tragedy unfolded further at her sister’s workplace, where Timilehin reportedly arrived in visible distress and asked for palm oil—a traditional antidote for poisoning—to alleviate her pain.

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An eyewitness said the sister, unaware of what had happened, initially ignored the request. However, alarm was raised when Timilehin eventually admitted, on the way to the hospital, that she had taken poison at home.

“She was rushed to Kolak Hospital, Odogunyan, but was sadly confirmed dead shortly after arrival,” the source told journalists.

“The most heartbreaking part is that she received an admission message in her email the same day she died.”

Timilehin’s death has reignited public discourse about the intense academic pressure faced by Nigerian students, particularly around standardized exams like the UTME—a computer-based test introduced in 1978 to assess candidates for tertiary education in Nigeria.

Mental health advocates have called for increased awareness and support for young people dealing with academic stress, emphasizing the need for schools, parents, and policymakers to treat emotional wellbeing with the same seriousness as academic performance.

This tragic incident serves as a grim reminder of the urgent need for improved mental health resources and guidance counseling services in Nigeria’s education system.