A 400-level Computer Science student at Babcock University in Ilisan Remo, Ogun State, Joshua Lawson, has sadly taken his own life after being suspended for a year by the university’s administration due to examination malpractice.
According to report, 20-year-old Lawson ended his life at his family home in Lagos upon learning about his suspension.
The young man, who was expected to graduate with his classmates on July 27, was reportedly heartbroken over the harsh punishment he faced.
Dr. Joshua Suleiman, the Director of Communication and Marketing at the university, has confirmed this tragic incident. He stated, “The institution is aware of this heartbreaking event. He was a 400-level Computer Science student who faced the university’s disciplinary committee for examination malpractice; he was found guilty and received a one-year academic suspension.
He still hadn’t arrived to pick up his suspension letter; maybe he found out about the suspension through different channels. Yet, we remain unclear about what happened next; all we know is that the student ended his own life.
A group of students has, however, turned to social media to share their sorrow over the passing of their fellow student, while also criticizing the university for its overly strict regulations.
One student commented, “How can someone be so close to graduation, just a month away, only to have everything taken away because of an ‘exam misconduct’ allegation? A two-year suspension? The cancellation of an entire semester?
“That’s not just punishment… that’s destruction. This goes beyond rules. This is a life. A dream. The pride of a family. And now that life has been lost to suicide.
“Even if the person made a mistake, where is the compassion? Where is the support? Where is the humanity? No student ought to endure such pain. No parent should ever have to learn that their child ended their own life over an issue that could have been addressed.”
Another student stated, “If this institution does not rethink some of its unreasonable policies or actions, the situation will only get worse!!! Why is that?”
Yet, Suleiman argued that the university was not strict with its regulations, stressing that the administration would never find joy in the loss of any student.
“The university is never happy when anyone dies; in fact, we wish this tragedy had never happened, and we offer our condolences to the family.
However, similar to any educational institution or organization, the university has regulations that the staff are fully informed about. These rules also carry consequences that are applied when someone violates them. As I mentioned before, we don’t want anyone to die, that’s for sure.
