A shocking tragedy unfolded as a 20-year-old student from the University of Ilorin, Sanni Hameedat, reportedly took her own life after lending a boy she met on Snapchat N500,000.
The management of the private hostel where she resided, Rubiks, released a statement to PUNCH Online, revealing that Hameedat was undergoing her SIWES program at the time of the incident. They explained that the cause of her death was linked to the pressure from app agents demanding a swift repayment, combined with her brother’s inability to provide financial support, which led to her severe depression.
The devastating sequence of events began when Hameedat, entrusted with a substantial sum of money by her mother, encountered a young man on Snapchat and formed a close friendship. This young man claimed that his mother was suffering from breast cancer and urgently needed N500,000. In a compassionate and emotional gesture, Hameedat decided to help him by lending him half of the N1 million she was holding for her mother, with the boy promising to repay the borrowed amount.
However, when Hameedat’s mother required the money back, the young man suddenly cut off all contact and blocked her. This left her deeply troubled, and in a desperate attempt to repay the missing N500,000, she turned to borrowing money from various apps.
Hameedat managed to collect N450,000 from these loan apps and added her savings of N50,000 to reach the borrowed N500,000. Tragically, her financial distress eventually led her to take her own life by ingesting a bottle of the pesticide known as Sniper.
Her roommate discovered her in distress in the middle of the night when she was foaming from her mouth and vomiting. The roommate immediately sought help, and Hameedat was rushed to UITH but was sadly declared dead.
While the university community is reeling from this devastating loss, the vice-chancellor, Dean of Student Affairs, and the Student Union President have reported the incident to the appropriate authorities to initiate a comprehensive investigation into the matter.