A friend of Bashir Aliyu, a final year student of the Federal University, Dutse (FUD), Jigawa State, who committed suicide on Monday after accusing his girlfriend of cheating on him on Valentine’s Day, has narrated how the love affair between the deceased and his school sweetheart ended in a tragedy.
Earlier, the university’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Bello, had told PREMIUM TIMES the incident occurred on Monday. He added that the vice-chancellor, Abdulkareem Sabo, had ordered an investigation.
The university spokesperson said Mr Aliyu, a 400-level student of Mathematics, died after ingesting a poisonous substance at his off-campus apartment in Yalwawa quarters in Dutse.
Mr Bashir was pronounced dead at Rasheed Shekoni Specialist Hospital in Dutse, the official added.
On Thursday, a friend to the deceased, Alkali Bafu, told PREMIUM TIMES that the late Bashir was heartbroken and depressed before his death on Monday.
He said the sad incident followed months of a troubled relationship dominated by accusations and counter-accusations of cheating between the lovers.
His friend described the late Bashir as one of the best students in his class. He said he was studious and usually organised tutorials with his classmates.
“Bashir was also very kind, jovial and friendly. I still don’t believe that he is dead,” Mr Bafu said.
Mr Bafu said Bashir started dating Rufi’at Abdullateef in 2017 when the girl was an Interim Jamb Matriculation Board (IJMB) student in the university.
She later secured admission to the Department of Economics where she is currently a 200-level student.
According to Mr Bafu, the lovebirds broke up several times but always reconciled.
“Bashir adored Rufi’at. He was obsessed with her so much that he never stopped speaking about her. He stayed away from other female students just to please her.
“He planned to marry her after graduation. Obviously, he would have graduated before her, but that was his plan.”
Mr Bafu said he noticed Bashir was depressed about a week before he took his own life.
“I told him, ‘guy, you’re depressed, I can see it on your face’. He admitted to it and told me he had been to the hospital on suspicion of a heart problem but said he was counselled and discharged.
“On Saturday, a day to the Valentine’s Day celebration, I learnt Rufi’at told him she was not going to celebrate the day with him. That must have compounded his condition.
“On Valentine’s Day, she was nowhere to be found in Dutse. Some said she went to Kano to celebrate Valentine’s Day with another partner, that was obviously the information Bashir got and decided to take his own life.
“On Monday, at his apartment at Yalwawa quarters, he ingested the substance and minutes later he started screaming. Neighbours rushed him to the hospital where he gave up the ghost,” Mr Bafu said.
PREMIUM TIMES could not locate Miss Abdullateef, Bashir’s girlfriend. She was reportedly in mourning somewhere in Kano State.
The police spokesperson in Jigawa, Aminudeen Zubair, told PREMIUM TIMES that the university did not officially report the incident to the police. However, he said that did not deter the police from taking up the investigation.
The university spokesperson, Mr Bello, said the matter was still under investigation and the would address the public when it has new information.
-PREMIUM TIMES
