A deeply tragic event has unfolded involving 19-year-old Opesusi Faith Timilehin, a young girl from Odogunyan in Ikorodu, Lagos State, who took her own life following disappointment over her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result.
Faith, who hailed originally from Abeokuta in Ogun State, had high hopes of gaining admission into the university to study Microbiology. However, she was devastated upon receiving a score of 190 in the recently released UTME results, a score she believed would not be sufficient for admission despite her strong determination and preparation.
According to a close family friend, this was not Faith’s first attempt at the UTME. She had sat for the examination the previous year and scored higher, further deepening her sense of failure and hopelessness this time around.
“She felt broken. She kept repeating that last year’s result was better and that all hope was gone,” the family friend recounted.
The emotional toll became unbearable for Faith. On Monday, shortly after checking her UTME result, she reportedly ingested a toxic substance known locally as “Push Out.” She was immediately rushed to Kolak Hospital in Odogunyan by those around her, but was sadly confirmed dead upon arrival.
In a heartbreaking twist of fate, just 30 minutes after her death was confirmed, Faith received an email from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) offering her a provisional admission to study Microbiology — the very course she had been hoping to pursue.
“It was shocking and painful. The admission message came through her Gmail barely half an hour after she passed away,” another source close to the family disclosed.
The tragic news has plunged the local community into mourning. Neighbors and acquaintances described Faith as a humble, quiet, and well-mannered girl who had great aspirations for her future.
Her grieving parents, who were residing in Abeokuta, were informed of the incident and immediately traveled to Lagos to retrieve her body for burial arrangements.
The sorrow of the tragedy has also sparked anger and criticism among community members and sympathizers, who have condemned the examination body for what they termed the emotional trauma inflicted on candidates by the widespread failure in this year’s UTME.