Mercy Afolaranmi
Samson Folarin
The Osun State Police Command has invited the father of a late undergraduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Mercy Afolaranmi.
It was learnt that the police called Mercy’s father, Matthew Afolaranmi, for clarification on his daughter’s death after PUNCH Metro’s report on Thursday and Friday.
This is just as Mercy’s roommate, identified only as Taiwo, has refused to comment on the circumstances surrounding the death of the 16-year-old.
It had been reported that the Ekiti State indigene, who was in 100 level, allegedly drank rat poison mixed with a black substance because she allegedly had a poor grade in a compulsory course.
She was rushed to a private hospital where she died.
Her brother, Timothy, however, doubted the claim that she killed herself, saying Mercy was a devout Christian who wouldn’t do such a thing.
He had lamented that his sister, a worker with the OAU Deeper Life Campus Fellowship, was being wrongly portrayed.
Mercy’s parents, who spoke with our correspondent, had called for investigation into the death.
Her mother, Elizabeth, told PUNCH Metro that she (Mercy) had told her that she would be coming home on the day she allegedly drank the poison.
Elizabeth had noted that when she called her phone number on that day, it was her roommate who picked the call.
She said it was after the third call to her daughter’s line that Taiwo informed her that Mercy had ingested poison.
The victim’s father, Matthew, said he got an invitation from the police station investigating the case last Friday.
He said, “I was asked to come with the seminar note she was preparing before her death. I didn’t even go with the note. When I saw them, they said the case was being investigated and it had been transferred to the command headquarters.”
Mercy had told her mother she was returning home to deliver a lecture in a seminar involving some teachers in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State.
She was reportedly preparing the note when she died.
Some of her course mates were said to have thought that it was a suicide note until the content was read at the police station.
The father said the police demanded the note for a review.
PUNCH Metro learnt that a doctor at the Obafemi wolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile Ife, who conducted the autopsy on the corpse, had yet to submit his report.
Meanwhile, efforts by our correspondent to speak with Mercy’s roommate since last Friday had been abortive.
When our correspondent first contacted her, after a brief introduction, she cut off the call.
The line was not reachable until on Saturday, when a lady, who claimed to be her friend, said she was not available.
The same lady said Taiwo was still unavailable to talk about the incident on Monday when our correspondent reached out to her.
The Osun State Commissioner of Police, Adeoye Fimihan, urged parties in the case to help police in their investigation.
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