Undergraduate commits suicide over online debt in Ilorin

 

Israel favour Jesugbotemi

                      University of Ilorin (UNILORIN)

A 300 level microbiology female undergraduate of the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Sanni Hameedah, has committed suicide over her inability to repay a N500,000 debt obtained from  online loan operators. 

The Guardian learnt that her decision was based on continued harassment from her several online creditor. A close friend to the late student, said she took a large dose of an insecticide to end it all, with debts of over N500,000 hanging on her neck.

According to a roommate (names with held), she had“When she bought the poison, we didn’t take her seriously,” a source said.It was learnt that Rubiks hostel porter and fellow students mobilised to rush Hameedah to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) for medical attention, but she was pronounced dead on arrival by the doctors on duty.

Hameedah was undergoing her Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) programme before the incident. Her parents were notified of the tragic incident.

Another source said Hameedah was scammed of N500,000 by a lover she met on a social media handle, Snapchat, while a neighbour alleged that the deceased loaned her lover N500,000 from her mother’s N1 million in her care, to treat his mother undergoing a breast cancer operation at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

“The boyfriend became unreachable and blocked Hameedah after collecting the sum.

“It was the situation that prompted her to embark on taking loans from online loan operators to settle her unsuspecting mother .

“Her failure to pay back the loan, however, resulted in harassment from the online creditors,” the source added. One of her friends said the deceased was enmeshed in similar debt five months ago when she couldn’t settle a N270,000 outstanding loan from the apps.

“At that point, her siblings got involved to offset the debt without the knowledge of their parents,” she said. When contacted, spokesperson for Kwara State Police Command, Okasanmi Ajayi, promised to respond, but was yet to do so at press time.

Meanwhile, the management of the University of Ilorin has condoled with the parents, friends, and colleagues of the deceased student.

Culled from: The Guardian Newspapers