300-level FUTA student commits suicide after over fraud allegations

A 300-level student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, Oluwapelumi Joseph Olona committed suicide after he was allegedly accused of stealing money paid for departmental dues.

The student of the Department of Industrial Design was found dangling in his room ceiling after he hung himself with the aid of buckets in an off-campus lodge in the Aule area of Akure.

According to one Omoniyi Enoch, a friend of the deceased, Olona was the Financial Secretary of his department and was selected to receive payments for departmental dues for the  2021/2022 session since the treasurer was not available to do so.

After dues payment, the department president was said to have requested a sum of N100,000 be sent to his account for a project, to which Olona sent the money using his digital bank – Carbon. However, the president said he never received the money while Olona insisted he was debited. Mails were sent to the banking platform to resolve the issue to no avail causing Olona to be alienated from his classmates who had secluded him and were convinced he had stolen the money.

The issue was reported to the Head of the Department who was said to have called Olona’s father and accused the student of engaging in fraud.

Enoch further revealed that Olona was depressed and under a lot of pressure, and had refused to attend lectures following school resumption after the Christmas holiday before he ended it all. His lifeless body was found in the early hours of Saturday, January 21, 2023.

Another source said Late Olona was an only son and last born of his parents and had some unresolved issues with his parents over his academic performance in his first year. According to the source, the student did not go home throughout the period of the ASUU strike because of his poor result at the 100 level.