‘Why FUTA Student Committed Suicide Revealed’

A 300-level student of Industrial Design at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Olona Babajide Joseph on Saturday committed suicide.

The body of Olona was found dangling on the ceiling of his room after some students broke into his off-campus apartment.

Olona who was into cloth branding before the incident was the Financial Secretary of the department.

More details have emerged on why Olona took his life.

Closed friends that spoke with The Nation on the incident said he committed suicide because he was accused of fraud.

A student said: “The Treasurer of the department wasn’t around to receive payment for dues for the new session. Joseph decided to receive the payments from students.

“The President requested that Joseph should send one hundred thousand naira (₦100,000) to him for a departmental project. Joseph sent it using his digital bank — Carbon. He was debited but the President didn’t receive the payment.

“Several emails were sent to the bank but the issue wasn’t resolved. Due to that, he was so pressured about it and everyone secluded him. He hasn’t attended lectures since we got back from the Christmas break because of the pressure.

“Yesterday morning, I went to get my phone from Joseph because his phone is faulty and we both shared my phone. He informed me that his HOD called his daddy and said he engaged in fraud.

“He was very disturbed about it. He requested to follow me to my office at the Students’ Union Building (SUB) because he didn’t want to stay alone.

“I left him at the office to attend the homecoming event that was held at T.I Francis auditorium and also watched the Awopegba match.

“When I got back to the office, he had already locked the office door. He came back to give me the keys and left.

“When I got home, I forced him to eat. At 7:40 pm, I knocked on his door but he didn’t open it. I left thinking he was still angry with me for leaving him at the office.

“At 8:30 pm, I knocked again but there was no response. At 10:01 pm, I tried again but there was no response and I went to sleep.

“This morning, I went to knock around 8 am but there was no response. I had to go and check through his window and I saw him hanging from the ceiling.”

A source close to the President of the Departmental Association, Owomoyela Oladotun, however, said he confirmed that the late Olona mismanaged the departmental funds.

The source said, “Olona Joseph is a student of Industrial Design and the Financial Secretary of the department. He mismanaged the association funds and was asked to remit them back.

“After the first-semester examination (last year), he promised to pay back the money in instalments. Since then, I haven’t seen him. I just got a call this morning that he committed suicide. It seems like a dream because the money isn’t worth him taking his life.”

The spokesperson for the institution, Adegbenro Adebanjo, said the institution was aware of the incident, adding that the Students Affairs Division has gotten in touch with the family as well as provided support services.

Adebanjo said, “Counsellors are also providing needed support for students who may have been impacted by the sad development. The Police authorities have also been duly informed.”

Ondo State Police Command spokesman, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident.

She said: “His body has been taken to the morgue and investigation has started to unravel the reasons behind his action. But it was a case of suicide.”