Contrary to reports that Nicholas Idoko, a medical student of the Benue State University committed suicide after he failed a resit and was asked to withdraw from the university, the promising young chap died in a fatal accident. Below is a press release from a family member.
“He was driving on Abu King Shuluwa Road, moving at a pretty high speed and without knowledge of a truck spoilt in the middle of the road. He tried to swerve out of the truck’s way but found himself facing the road divider. Without his belt on, Mr Idoko was flunged out of the car, sustained multiple fractures, a cracked skull and died on the spot. The car also hit and killed another commuter on the road while spinning out of control.
From where I’m sitting the above statement alone disqualifies it as a suicide, at least technically. It was an accident and another person’s life was also taken in the process. Nothing deliberate, no matter the circumstance confronting Nicholas before his death.
His death has not been declared a suicide by the authorities or his family as many other national dailies would have us believe. I am not going to speak against plagiarism and the other numerous crimes we commit in the name of journalism without one iota of care to the consequences, at least not today. But when one of such consequences is spreading total falsehood about the life of a young man, even threatening to denigrate the image of his entire family it is time to put a stop to such lazy practices.
Ejugwu Michael for The Family