A student of Kogi State Polytechnic, Saliu Mariam, has slumped and died a few hours after she celebrated the completion of her final examination.
Mariam, who reportedly died on June 9, 2026, had earlier taken to social media to express joy after writing her last examination paper.
In a Facebook post shared around noon, the student celebrated what appeared to be the end of her academic journey.
“Alhamdulilah. Tears of Joy. Finally,” she wrote.
However, what began as a moment of celebration soon turned tragic.
According to reports, Mariam collapsed while celebrating with her coursemates shortly after completing her final paper. She was later pronounced dead.
A Facebook user, Ohida Bill-ikis, who reacted to the incident, claimed the student slumped in the midst of her colleagues during a sign-out celebration.
“She slumped in the midst of her coursemates that are signing out; that is all,” the user wrote.
Just days before her death, Mariam had shared an appreciation message after completing her tenure as Onyi-Ohinoyi of the National Association of Ebira Students (NAES), Kogi State Polytechnic Chapter.
In the message, she thanked friends, family members, and supporters who stood by her during her period of service.
Following reports of her death, the comment section of her final celebratory post became a scene of mourning, with messages of congratulations giving way to tributes and expressions of disbelief.
One mourner, Daudu Marygold, described the incident as devastating.
“This hurt. This pain. This unbearable. Oh Mariam, Oh Mariam. When I saw your post about your academic win, I was about to comment congratulations. I never knew it would turn into a sad moment. My maternal family lost a golden daughter.”
Another Facebook user, Ezekiel Oyiza, expressed shock over the sudden turn of events.
“Aah God, what kind of news is this? I don’t know if I’m to type congratulations now or RIP.”
Muhammad Jibrin Etsu reflected on the uncertainty of life.
“Indeed there is nothing as temporary as the life of this world and nothing so certain like death.”
Similarly, Bigi Cubana wrote: “I wanted to say congratulations, but then I saw comments saying RIP. This life no balance. May Almighty Allah grant you Aljannah.”
As of the time of filing this report, the exact cause of Mariam’s death had not been officially disclosed.
