07/12/2025
A Nigerian Law School student, Ayomiposi Ojajuni, has reportedly died by su***de after being denied the opportunity to take the Bar Final examinations at the Yola Campus.
https://kubwaexpress.com/2025/12/07/nigerian-law-school-student-commits-su***de/
𝗠𝗬 𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:
This is another painful reminder that we all carry a collective responsibility: to ourselves, to the institutions we belong to, and to those placed under our care. No matter how overwhelming situations get, taking the 'cheap way out' should never become an option, because every life has a future worth fighting for.
Yes, the reports say multiple queries had already been issued to him. That shows there were behavioural or disciplinary concerns. But even at that, educational institutions, especially one as intense and mentally demanding as the Nigerian Law School, must recognise that discipline alone does not solve deeper emotional or psychological burdens.
𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁. 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁.
𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵.
And I am saying this not from a place of theory, but from personal experience. 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 7 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘀𝗶 𝗢𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗷𝗼 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆. It cost me an extra year. I graduated with a Third Class. I went to the Nigerian Law School and struggled so much that at a point, I almost dropped out entirely; and even when I finished, I graduated with a Pass.
I know what academic failure feels like. I know what shame, confusion, and fear can do to the mind. I know what it means to feel like your entire future has collapsed. But I also know that life continues beyond failure. You can fall and still rise. You can break and still rebuild. You can be delayed, but not denied.
That’s why this hurts differently.
Law School shouldn’t only prepare students to pass exams; it should prepare them to survive the pressure that comes with pursuing the legal profession. This is why the Guidance and Counselling unit must not exist as a mere formality, it should be a fully functional safe space where students can walk in freely, without fear of being mocked, judged, or prematurely labelled as a “problem.”
The mental load on students - academic pressure, financial strain, isolation, family expectations, fear of failure - is heavier today than ever. A system that disciplines without simultaneously offering emotional support is setting people up to break.
This young man’s death is tragic. But beyond the tragedy lies a wake-up call:
1. Students must learn to speak out and seek help early.
2. Schools must move from punishment-only models to punishment-plus-support.
3. Mentorship, empathy, and mental health services must be institutional priorities, not afterthoughts.
If we truly want a legal community that is responsible, emotionally stable, and strong enough to lead society, then we must start treating the mental health of our future lawyers as equally important as the exams they sit for.
No one’s life should end because of a query. And no one should ever feel that failure, whether real or perceived, is the end of their story.
Rest in peace, Ayomiposi.
May your passing awaken reform.
𝗣𝗮𝗚𝗶𝗱𝗶
Founder, PaGidi Expressions
