The Opesusi family has given some background on circumstances that led to the death of their 19-year-old daughter, Faith, who took her own life after receiving a low score in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Faith, who had dreams of studying microbiology, died shortly after discovering she scored 146 in the exam that has a maximum of 400 marks.
Her father, Oluwafemi Opesusi, said the result left her devastated.
“My daughter scored high in last year’s JAMB exam, but this year she got 146. The pain led her to take her own life,” he said.
Although she gained admission in 2024, Faith had turned it down because the school was far from home.
She had hoped to reapply and attend a university closer to her family, where her sister also studied.
This year’s UTME was her second attempt and the family believed she was well-prepared.
Speaking to BBC Pidgin, Mr. Opesusi said, “What was released wasn’t just her result. Kids these days feel things deeply. She was disappointed, and it broke her.”
According to him, Faith never gave any indication she was struggling: “If she had opened up, we would have known how to talk to her, how to console her. There was still hope.”
Her elder sister, Opeyemi Opesusi, described her as quiet, determined and expressive.
“When she started vomiting, I asked what was wrong. She told me she had taken poison,” Opeyemi said.
“She left me at the hospital. Just like that. We were eight in our family, now we’re seven.
“She was more than a score. She was our Faith.”
The family said Faith showed no visible signs of emotional distress before her death, making the tragedy even harder to bear.
Faith has been buried in Ikorodu, Lagos.
Her death comes amid growing controversy over the 2025 UTME. Of the 1.5 million candidates who sat the exam, more than half scored below 200.
Following widespread complaints, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) acknowledged technical errors that affected the conduct and outcome of the exams.
“What was supposed to be a moment of joy has been marred by one or two errors,” said JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, during a public apology.
The board announced that about 380,000 students will be given a chance to retake the exam.
