LAUTECH: Irate Students Destroyed School Properties Over Death Of Colleague

Students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso took to the street to protest the death of a graduating student of the university, Asefon Nifemi Benard.

The students reportedly vandalised the university health centre on the campus and some vehicles at the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital to register their anger.

It was gathered that there was no electricity supply to the private hostel where the deceased student was living off-campus because of a fault on the electric pole.

Some students told our correspondent that Ashefon had on Thursday climbed the electric pole to fix the fault and was coming down when fell off the pole and into a pit.

It was not clear if he died on the spot or not, but some students claimed that he was still breathing when he was taken to the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital which allegedly failed to give him prompt attention.

The death reportedly angered the student who trooped out and vandalised the hospital and the health centre.

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 was deployed in the hospital to prevent further destruction.

The Registrar of the university, Dr Kayode Ogunleye, in a statement made available to our correspondent 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.”