In the days leading up to her death, 23-year-old Nigerian Law School student Faith Ajoke Alayande appeared full of hope. In a short video shared on her Instagram page, she walked along an empty road, smiling into the camera, the caption reading “86 days to Bar Finals 100%” with the phrase “Lawyer in training” layered over the clip.

That upbeat post has now become a haunting prelude to a tragedy that has shaken the Lagos campus of the Nigerian Law School on Victoria Island.

According to reports from the institution and the Lagos State Police Command, Faith was found lifeless within the hostel premises after allegedly falling from the rooftop of the school’s four-storey female hostel. Another student is said to have discovered her body in the early hours and immediately alerted the Chief Matron of the hostel.

The matron, after confirming the situation, reported the incident to the Victoria Island Police Division. Police spokesperson Abimbola Adebisi confirmed that officers visited the scene and that Faith’s body was evacuated to a morgue for preservation.

Adebisi disclosed that preliminary information indicated the discovery of a note believed to have been written by Faith. A hostel mate and a relative reportedly came across the note and, alarmed by its contents, began searching for her. Before they could reach her, she had allegedly accessed the rooftop of the four-storey building and jumped.

“I can confirm the incident. The deceased reportedly wrote a suicide note and, before her hostel mate and a relative could locate her, she jumped from the rooftop of a four-storey building,” Adebisi said, adding that an investigation is ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding her death.

Faith’s death has sparked grief among law students and young lawyers across the country, many of whom have shared her final video and earlier posts, describing her as diligent, cheerful and determined to be called to the Bar.

Her story has also renewed conversations about mental health pressures faced by professional students in Nigeria, particularly those in high-stakes institutions such as the Law School, where the Bar Finals examinations are widely regarded as one of the most demanding academic hurdles in the country.