The corpse of a 400-level student of the Department of Animal Production, Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State, Oluwaseyi Adebayo, has been discovered in a fish pond after a hiking escapade with his fellow University mates.
The student was said to have gone bike hiking with some of his colleagues after school hours on August 10, 2024, when he met his untimely death after falling off from a hilltop which landed him in a closeby fish pond.
Oluwaseyi Adebayo, was the only student amongst others who went bike hiking that drowned in the fish pond.
Oluwaseyi Adebayo's death before rescue aid could get to him, was because he could not swim.
According to reports, locals in the university vicinity have refused to release the corpse of the deceased student to the university authorities until some rituals are carried out to prevent a similar situation from happening to other university students.
This is as a result of the cultural practices of the locals in the University Community and environs whenever such occurrence is recorded.
It took the intervention of some concerned people to save the situation by paying the required amount and providing a white ram for the sacrifice as demanded by the locals, when the University authority was said to have refused to comply with the requirements laid out by them.
In a publication made by the Student Union Government of the university, the Students body expressed their heartfelt condolence to the family of the deceased student while they also warned other students to desist from activities that will endanger their lives.
While confirming the incident in a statement, they said: “We regret to announce the passing of Oluwaseyi David, a 400 level student from the Department of Animal Production (SAAT), who died earlier today during a hiking event with his level mates near the Talba Dam in GK Off-campus".
They further sent out their heartfelt condolences and prayers to the family of the deceased, sympathizing with them on the irrecoverable loss of Oluwaseyi Adebayo.
”Our prayers and thoughts are with the bereaved family. We pray God to grant them the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss and may the gentle soul of Oluwaseyi David rest in perfect peace”.
The statement added that the Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State, has before now, issued out statements of warning as pertaining any engagement by students in relation to water areas within and outside the University campus.
“The University Management has warned Students to avoid any form of outdoor events near waterways and also swimming in water bodies of undefined depth.”
From reports gathered, the University’s spokesperson, Lydia Legbo, denied having any knowledge of the sad incident, saying that the university was not aware of the death of Adebayo.
In her words: “The University is not aware of any such incident and cannot comment on it,”
When contacted on Friday, the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun was yet to be intimated about the incident.
He said, “We are not aware of the incident, It was not reported to the police.”
We await the official confirmation of the sad incident from the Federal University of Technology, Minna and the Niger State Police Command as the situation further unfolds.
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