* Maryam Agoro dies a day after university’s 56th convocation
A University of Lagos (UNILAG) graduate and promising Muslimah, Maryam Agoro, has returned to Allah, just a day after her convocation ceremony, sending shockwaves within the students and alumni circles, as well as the larger Nigerian Muslim community.
Agoro, a English graduate, reportedly passed away shortly after celebrating the milestone she had worked for years to achieve. Her sudden death was shared on X by Confidence Ufuoma (@plantcodesss), who wrote: “You did your convocation yesterday, and today you’re no more. You deserve to be celebrated, and you will be.”
The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN), UNILAG chapter, in a press statement signed by Amir Abdulsalam Muhammad, on Wednesday, expressed deep grief, describing Agoro as a beloved sister, companion, and believer whose presence would be greatly missed.
Amir Muhammad reminded the community of life’s transience, urging reflection and reliance on Allah’s mercy.
“May Allah forgive all her shortcomings, accept her good deeds, and grant her a place among the righteous in Jannatul Firdaus. May her meeting with her Lord be one of mercy, peace, and honor,” he said.
Friends and mourners have expressed shock and sorrow following her sudden death just a day after her convocation ceremony, with many taking to social media to pay tributes to the English graduate, who had always aspired to study Law, a passion that earned her the nickname “Baby Lawyer.”
In a heartfelt tribute, Nafisat Ayanyemi, a Business Support Specialist and former classmate, recalled their shared journey as Direct Entry students in the Department of English in 2021. “While I moved on to another department, Maryam pressed through every hurdle and eventually graduated.
She had her convocation on Tuesday, celebrated hopeful and fulfilled. By the following morning, she was gone,” Ayanyemi said.
She added poignantly: “Her convocation photoshoot is now her obituary picture. Since I heard the news, it has been difficult to carry on with daily life as usual. This life truly is vanity upon vanity. The scariest part is that we never know who is next, yet we keep chasing the world and its attractions. Are we really prepared for eternal life? My Baby Lawyer has gone to the world beyond. May Allah grant you paradise, Maryam.”
Other users expressed shock and sorrow. @Coachchair007 prayed for her soul and her loved ones, while @Sharon2Eniola reflected on life’s fragility, noting how a day of celebration could turn into tragedy.
Agoro’s death occurred shortly after UNILAG’s 55th convocation, held on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, where the university awarded degrees to 16,506 graduates. Among them, 272 students earned first-class honours, including three from the Faculty of Law.
The Faculty of Engineering produced the highest number of first-class graduates, with 89 out of 613 students achieving the top honour, while the Faculty of Management Sciences had 120 first-class graduates among 1,163 students.
– With additional information from THE NATION
Nigerian Muslim Personalities of the Year 2024/2025
Global Muslim Personalities of the Year 2024/2025
Sponsored
