JAMB Fallout: Teenage Girl Takes Own Life After Scoring 146 in UTME, Father Reveals Heartbreaking Details

 

The family of 19-year-old Faith Opesusi Timileyin has been left in unimaginable grief following the tragic death of their daughter, who reportedly took her own life after receiving a disappointing score in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Mr. Opesusi Oluwafemi, her father, speaking in an emotionally charged interview with BBC Pidgin, confirmed that Faith ingested rat poison shortly after discovering her UTME score—an act that led to her untimely death. The teenager had harbored hopes of studying Microbiology at a Nigerian university and had excelled in the previous year’s UTME, giving her family and herself high hopes for the future.

Crushed by her 2025 score of 146, Faith reportedly kept her pain to herself. Her father believes the silence worsened the situation. "My daughter scored very high in last year’s JAMB result. This year, they gave her 146 and that was what made her drink rat poison,” he recounted, his voice heavy with regret. “She was devastated and disappointed when she saw her results.”

Despite the apparent change in performance, the teenager did not discuss her feelings with her family. Mr. Opesusi expressed deep sorrow that she chose to suffer in silence. “If she had opened up, we would have consoled and told her that there is hope,” he added.

This heartrending tragedy has now drawn further public scrutiny after the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, admitted to widespread errors in the 2025 UTME results. Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, the visibly emotional Oloyede disclosed that at least 379,997 candidates were affected by what he termed as “systemic issues.”

The acknowledgment came with an apology from JAMB to the candidates and their families. Oloyede, who reportedly broke down in tears during the press briefing, expressed personal sorrow over the unintended consequences of the errors and vowed corrective measures would be taken.

Faith’s story adds a tragic dimension to the broader conversation about academic pressure, mental health, and the role of examination bodies in safeguarding the well-being of students. Many Nigerians have taken to social media to express their condolences, outrage, and concern over how one mistake, compounded by silence and emotional despair, could result in such a loss.

Experts have also weighed in on the incident, calling for more comprehensive support systems for students preparing for high-stakes examinations. Educational psychologist Dr. Uju Maduka described the situation as a “wake-up call” for Nigerian society. “We must begin to prioritize mental health services within the school system and educate parents and students alike on emotional resilience and support,” she said.

Advocates for educational reform are now urging JAMB to not only correct the results but to also initiate mental health outreach programs, especially for students affected by the errors. There are also increasing calls for a thorough review of how the board manages its data and communicates with students during and after examination periods.

Faith’s death serves as a chilling reminder of the fragile emotional states many young people navigate while pursuing their academic dreams. Her passing is not just a loss to her family, but a loss to the society that might have benefited from her talents and ambitions.

As her story spreads across the nation, one question echoes in the hearts of many: How many more lives must be shattered before tangible change is enacted in Nigeria’s educational and mental health frameworks?

The Opesusi family is now left to mourn their daughter while also coping with the painful knowledge that her death might have been prevented. Their only hope now is that her story will stir collective action so that no other child feels as hopeless as Faith must have felt in her final moments.