16-year-old commits suicide after failing Probatoire Examination

Tchomo chiefdom in Yaoundé III Sud-Division was the scene of the crime on Thursday, August 3.

The Toyota Yaris with the registration number 14 36 21 left the Tchomo chiefdom in Yaoundé at 9:39 p.m. There was a body in the trunk, and the car was on its way to the CFTA morgue.

Johanna Michelle Owona, 16, committed suicide earlier and her body was on board the public transportation vehicle after she failed the Probatoire Examination.

Second Cycle Students in Cameroon’s French educational system take an official exam called the Probatoire.

Shock!

Hundreds of people gathered outside the victim’s home after the horrific event. Her mother was inconsolable. The sister was sobbing next to their mother.

“Johanna could not stand the fact that she failed the exams. Following the news of her failure from the Bac Office, she went to her room, where she ingested the toxic powder (often used to trap and kill mice in some Cameroonian houses). A few minutes later, she was in excruciating pain and finally died. Her body was wrapped in sheets and loaded into a taxi,” a witness told MMI.

Not the first time

Out of her three siblings, Johanna was the oldest. She schooled at Montesquieu College, which is located near Yaoundé. Her family members claim this is not her first suicide attempt.

She had already attempted suicide once, at the tender age of twelve, by ingesting petrol.

“She was upset that a practical joke had resulted in her having to shave her head. A neighbour heard her screaming and came to her aid the first time,” our source added.

This is not the first time an exam candidate in Cameroon is committing suicide.