From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha

Parents of the late David Ogbonna, who allegedly committed suicide in one of the hostels at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, have denied school fees hike as the cause of their son’s death.

Ogbonna, a 200 level student of the Department of Industrial Physics, was found in one of the male hostels inside the university premises, dangling with a rope round his neck on August 20, 2021.

Mother of the deceased, Esther Ogbonna, who spoke on behalf of the family during a meeting with management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, said media reports attributing the cause of death to hike in school fees were misleading and diversionary, even as she commended the management of UNIZIK for the steps taken, so far, to unravel the mystery behind the death of their son.

The Acting Public Relations Officer of the university, Chika Eneh, in a statement yesterday, also said university community was saddened by the death of the student, while the management and the Nigerian Police Force have launched investigation into the alleged suicide act by the late student.

Related News

The parents of the late student, Pastor and Mrs. Ogbonna, during the meeting with the university management, Council and the SUG affirmed that hike in school fees wouldn’t have been the reason for their son’s death as they provided everything he needed.

The mother, Mrs. Esther Ogbonna, revealed that their late son was hardworking as he ventured into some vocational jobs like tailoring and laundry services to augment the provisions from home. She said that her son also complained about his poor performance, as she recalled in one of her conversations with the late son where he expressed displeasure over one of his results and she advised him to buckle up in subsequent examinations to remedy the deficiency.

Disclosing that the university never hiked fees in the first instance, the Acting PRO said, nevertheless, that the management, upon hearing the sad news, carried out due protocol by inviting the university’s medical centre and the Nigerian Police Force, who evacuated the body to the mortuary, while investigation had commenced over the incident.

“As we work assiduously in unraveling the cause of the unfortunate demise of late David, who is the last child of his parents, it is important to note that his three older siblings graduated from the departments of Medical Rehabilitation, Radiography and Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University.