The Osun State Police Command, on Thursday, said an investigation had commenced to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of an undergraduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Treasure Salako.
It was gathered that Salako’s family, friends and colleagues had been grieving after her remains were found in an uncompleted building around the Akarabata community, in the Ile-Ife area of the state.
It was learnt that beside Salako’s corpse, her bag and a bottle of insecticide were found beside her, arousing suspicion that she died by suicide.
Speaking on the incident, a former executive member of the Students’ Union, who was at the scene on Wednesday but spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimization, said there were indications that Salako was depressed, adding that he was informed that the undergraduate had attempted suicide five times.
He said,
“I received a call around 4.59pm that a student committed suicide. When I got there, I was outside because I wanted the security to do their examination.
“Later, I discovered that the policemen were already in the building. From reports, it was said that she drank a bottle of Sniper. Her bag was found near her.
“We read her diary; she was quite depressed from what we read inside it. The mother came and we learnt that they were having family issues and it was gathered that she had attempted suicide five times”.
Meanwhile, on her part, a final year student of the institution who identified herself simply as Tomi, said Salako might have been murdered.
“How old was she? She was just in 100 level. Why would she commit suicide? She might have been murdered,” she told newsmen.
In a 19 seconds video clip made available to newsmen on Thursday, the deceased was seen lying on the ground in a room in the uncompleted building.
She was wearing a yellow shirt and a pair of blue jean trousers.
A background voice was heard saying, “She drank sniper, she killed herself.”
Contacted, the spokesperson for the school, Abiodun Olarewaju, said the university and its Vice Chancellor, Prof Simeon Bamire, were saddened by the incident.
He said,
“We received the news of the demise of one of our part one students with a heavy heart. The VC is not happy about the development. Unfortunately, according to the mother, who came all the way from Lagos State because she learnt the daughter was having depression, the girl told the mother she was going to write an examination in the university, only to be found dead in an uncompleted building with a sniper.
“The VC commiserates with all of us, particularly the mother who is a single parent. The VC urges Nigerians to be their brother’s keeper, as this can help the situation of anyone”.
Olarewaju said Salako’s corpse had been deposited at the OAU Teaching Hospital.
Also confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, said the police had begun an investigation into the matter.
She said,
“We have evacuated the corpse and deposited it at the morgue of the OAUTH Complex, Ile-Ife. People are insinuating suicide because of what was found near the deceased.
“But we are still going ahead with our probe to determine what caused her death. At the hospital, checks would be carried out on the corpse. We will also probe all possibilities to be sure of what must have happened to her”.
