18-year-old UNIPORT student allegedly commits su*cide

A 100-level student of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Hikmat Gbadamosi, has allegedly committed suicide.

Gbadamosi, a student of the Chemical Engineering Department, was alleged to have consumed two bottles of insecticide, Sniper, on Saturday. She was found dead in her room on Monday.

Our reporter learnt that the victim, who was the assistant course representative of students at her level, had missed a test on Monday.

Some of her course mates, who were apprehensive about her whereabouts, went to look for her at her lodge in the Aluu area of Rivers State.

Her bloated remains were reportedly discovered, as the case was reported to the police.

Some friends of the victim, while citing a video clip of Gbadamosi that surfaced on the Internet after her death, claimed that she suffered from depression.

The video, seen by one of our correspondents, showed the undergraduate in tears while filming herself.

She said, “…it worsens every time and I don’t know who to call.”

A 100-level student of the Faculty of Engineering, UNIPORT, who identified herself only as Esther, said the deceased was always withdrawn, adding that she also barred friends from visiting her in her lodge.

She said, “Olaitan (Gbadamosi) was not talking to people before she died. I would say she was withdrawn; I thought her behaviour was due to her social status because she came from a wealthy family.

“I heard she did not allow friends to visit her in her room off campus and that was why her body was discovered two days after she committed the act; her face was already swollen and black.”

One of her flatmates, who identified herself only as Vera, noted that Gbadamosi was seen around 11pm on Saturday talking to some people in the lodge.

She said, “Ola (Gbadamosi) was one of the coolest and calmest girls in the lodge. On Saturday, she was seen around 11pm talking to some people.

“She stayed alone in her room. People in the lodge did not notice her absence on Sunday until her course mates came to look for her on Monday. They said she missed a test and that they had been trying her telephone line, which was not reachable. A few of them decided to check up on her.

“When they knocked on her door, there was no response. They alerted the security guards and tried all they could to make the door open, not knowing that she was dead.

“The security guards alerted the police and the emergency department of the university and when they arrived, they forced the door open. She was found dead. She was in the same clothes she wore on Saturday night.”

Meanwhile, some of Gbadamosi’s friends expressed shock on Tuesday as the news of her death went viral on the social media.

On Instagram, @josuaezeoru said, “Hikmat (Gbadamosi) why? I never knew there was so much pain behind that smile; you were always cheerful and happy, how come all these happened so fast and sudden?

“You always coded things in Yoruba with Peter, so I did not understand. I did not suspect anything. Am I dreaming? I feel bad and terrible. Please check up on your friends as often as you can; not everyone who smiles with you is happy.”

A Twitter user with the handle, @Kha_raee, who claimed to be Gbadamosi’s friend, noted that she had been complaining about depression for a long time.

He said, “I personally knew Hikmat; we were classmates during my A level programme and we were really close pals till the programme ended.

“When we talked months back, all she told me was how depressed she was and we had a serious and deep talk that took the whole night. I gave her a sermon on how to measure up with the state she was and I pleaded with her; she said she would be fine. She told me about her struggle at UNIPORT and I did the best I could. She showed me pictures of what she did to herself anytime she was depressed.

“I called sometimes and we would talk about school life and other things; sometimes, she would end the call, giving excuses that she would call back. I couldn’t contact Hikmat until months ago when I got her number from a friend. To hear from her after a long time was wonderful.

“Hikmat never called back all those times and we stopped talking for days until yesterday night when I got this news and my heart is truly broken.”

The Public Relations Officer, University of Port Harcourt, Dr Williams Wodi, said he had yet to confirm the news, adding that the chief security officer of the school and the dean of students’ affairs were investigating the report.

Our reporter learnt that some friends of the victim believed she did not commit suicide because of some lacerations on her body.

The Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the incident, said investigation had commenced to ascertain the actual cause of her death.

He said, “It is a suicide case and her corpse has been deposited in a mortuary. Investigation has been ordered to ascertain the cause of her death through an autopsy. We want to know if it was what they alleged she drank that killed her or other extraneous factors.”