A 19-year-old Lagos-based student, identified as Opesusi Faith Timilehin, tragically took her own life after receiving her 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination...

A 19-year-old Lagos-based student, identified as Opesusi Faith Timilehin, tragically took her own life after receiving her 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results, which she reportedly found disappointing. Timilehin, who hailed from Abeokuta, Ogun State, lived with her elder sibling in Odogunyan, Ikorodu, Lagos. She was said to have scored 190, a mark she believed was lower than her previous year’s result, leading to her devastating decision.

The incident has sparked widespread grief and outrage among communities many of whom have blamed the examination body, JAMB, for the distress caused by the exam results. In response to the backlash and multiple complaints about the 2025 UTME results, JAMB announced it was reviewing the results and admitted to errors in the conduct of the examination.

Mental health professionals have called for urgent and comprehensive support systems for students facing exam pressure. Michael Jacob, a psychotherapist and founder of Emotion Compass Academy, emphasized that academic performance should never define a student’s self-worth. He urged students struggling with disappointment to remember that exam results are just one of many pathways to success and encouraged them to seek help rather than despair.

JAMB has pledged transparency and fairness as it conducts a thorough review of the 2025 UTME process, involving education stakeholders and IT experts to identify and rectify irregularities. The board is also considering remedial measures, including possible retakes for affected candidates, to restore confidence in the examination system.