Faith Ajoke Alayande, a 23-year-old student of the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus, who allegedly jumped from a four-storey hostel building on Friday allegedly canvassed for an individual’s right to end their own life.
Police spokesperson Abimbola Adebisi confirmed on Friday that Alayande passed away in an apparent suicide, stating that the victim reportedly wrote a suicide note before jumping from the rooftop of the hostel located on Victoria Island.
According to police reports, a fellow student and a relative discovered the note and immediately began searching for Alayande.
However, she had already leapt from the building before they could locate her. The hostel’s Chief Matron subsequently reported the incident at the Victoria Island Police Division around 6:30 a.m.
Police operatives visited the scene, and her body has since been deposited at a public morgue for preservation and autopsy while investigations remain ongoing.
Academic supervisor speaks out
Reactions have continued to trail the tragedy, with a former university supervisor of the deceased, Uchenna Marvin, expressing shock over the incident.
In a tribute shared online, Marvin recalled supervising Alayande during her undergraduate studies, describing her as an engaging student who showed a keen interest in medical law—specifically the philosophical and legal arguments surrounding the “right to die.”
“Faith was my supervisee during her years in the university when she wrote her research work,” Marvin said. “She graduated and went to the Nigerian Law School this year. It is heartwrenching to hear that she committed suicide.”
He added: “I recall teaching the ‘Right to Die’ in Medical Law and Faith had me engaged severally. She advocated that people who had the right to life should have the right to also die.”
Authorities are yet to disclose the contents of the note left behind by the deceased, as police investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death continues.
