•As management declared Friday lecture-free
Students of Ladoke Akinola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso on Friday shut down the gates of the institution to protest the death of a final-year student, identified as Asefon Nifemi Benard.
The Corenews reported that the deceased who was graduating student of the Department of Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology, died after falling into a soak-away in his hostel.
The University management confirmed the sad incident in a statement signed by the institution’s registrar, Dr. Kayode Ogunleye on Friday.
The management while appealing to the protesting student for calm noted that Nifemi died off-campus on Thursday.
The registrar said in the statement in part “In sympathy with the student, friends and family, the university management hereby declare today Friday April 23, 2021 as lecture free-day, while any lectures or tests that might have been conducted earlier today will be declared null and void.
“Management further appeals to students not to take laws into their hands. Appropriate steps will be taken to further get the facts surrounding the death of the students.
“Once again, management commiserates with the students, family and friends of the deceased.
“Meanwhile, the University administration has taken steps to take care of the burial of the deceased and convey his corpse to the family.
“God will give the university the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”
One of the students who pleaded anonymity said Nifemi, after falling into a soak away, gave up the ghost on Thursday evening as a result of little delay by staff of the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital.
He said the incident occurred at his hostel along 1500LT, school area.
Another student who was privy to the incident said the deceased fell into the soak-away pit while attempting to switch on electricity.
He added that the shock from the electricity got him paralyzed as he fell into the pit.
He further explained that Nifemi was thereafter rushed to LAUTECH teaching hospital but could not get immediate medical attention, which was suspected to have led to his death.
The source said “Medical personnel on duty said they have to get a call from the Dean of Students Affairs before attending to him. The deceased friends decided to take Nifemi to Bowen Teaching Hospital; he died before getting to the hospital.
“Nifemi’s death has made some aggrieved students to shutdown the university. They are protesting that their colleague could have been saved if the health institution had taken the case as an emergency and gave him the necessary treatment before asking of details like the DSA.
However, a source in the hospital their request of the DSA was to relate the news of the passing away to an elderly person, noting that Nifemi was brought in dead to the hospital.
The source said, the officials on duty was only being careful not to give the news of the death to the student to avoid rampage or unpredictable reaction from the students.
