Academic activities were disrupted on Thursday at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso following the death of a 500 level Student of the Department of Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology, Asefon Nifemi Benard.
Nifemi was said to have climbed an electric pole to fix his hostel’s power and in the process of descending from the pole fell to a soakaway.
Information has it that it took the students up to twenty minutes before he was evacuated from the soakaway.
An audio recording being circulated via social media quoted a lady saying: “Feranmi fell into soak-away after fixing power. We all rushed to assist him, we were calling him and he was responding begging us to help him. The soakaway was filled with feaces”
Some of the students, who said the victim was subsequently taken to LAUTECH Teaching Hospital alleged that hospital management insisted that the Dean of Students Affairs should be around before they would commence treatment.
The students also alleged that the hospital later disclosed that they were out of oxygen, a situation which compelled the students to move the victim to Bowen hospital but Nifemi died in the process.
The death reportedly angered the student who trooped out and vandalized the hospital and the health center.
Speaking with Radio Nigeria, Dean Student Affairs, Dr. Ige Azeem confirmed the incident, noting that the students were grieved over the unfortunate death of one of them.
He said management had addressed the students and affirmed that normalcy had returned.
The Registrar of the university, Dr. Kayode Ogunleye, in a statement made available to journalists by the Public Relations Officer of LAUTECH, Mr. Lekan Fadeyi, confirmed the death of the student.
He said, “It has just come to the notice of the university management that a 500-Level graduating student of the Department of Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology, Asefon Nifemi Benard, died off-campus yesterday, April 22, 2021.
“In sympathy with the students, 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.”
Ashefon, was said to have completed his final examination and was waiting for mobilisation for the one year mandatory service of the National Youth Service Corps.
It was gathered that policemen and Operation Burst were deployed in the hospital to prevent further destruction.
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