A final-year student of Obafemi Awolowo University was confirmed dead hours after being rushed to the Emergency Medicine Department of the OAU Teaching Hospital. A mob beat the Civil Engineering student for allegedly stealing an Infinix phone and making bank transactions on the phone within the hall of residence.
Sources confirmed that Okoli Arinze, the deceased, refused to proceed to the SUB after receiving a thorough beating by hall executives and unidentified students of the aforementioned hall. Accordingly, he was, as a result, forced in a wheelbarrow between the hours of 12 AM and 2 am on Tuesday to the SU Security Committee, where he stayed overnight. He was found lifeless in the toilet on Tuesday and rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
According to reports, the late Arinze has been a notorious fraudster. He had been paraded many times for involvement in theft, and fake transactions, amongst other atrocities. He was a drug addict and an asthmatic patient too. This knowledge gave rise to speculations on the cause of his death. The CSO of the Security Committee of the Students’ Union refuted allegations of torturing Arinze overnight.
The Students’ Union released a press statement concerning this sad incident, stating that the students involved in this barbaric act have been arrested for further legal actions. Furthermore, the hall chairman and the Director of Socials of Awo Hall were handed over to police officials in Osogbo.
A lecturer of the Faculty of Technology, Dr Fajobi, addressed the students on Tuesday regarding the peaceful protest planned for Wednesday. However, Technology and Engineering Students Association (TESA) on Wednesday, 12 April, protested for the abolition of ‘maximum shishi’ and the closure of the Student Union Building until further investigation is made into the death of Arinze. Due to this development, the school’s main gate was closed, and academic activities were cancelled on Wednesday.
The university’s PRO also released a press statement expressing deep condolences toward the deceased’s family. He reproached any form of jungle justice in the institution and strongly urged that any form of violence be reported to designated authorities. The vice chancellor, Prof. Adebayo Simeon Bamire, has set up a committee to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of Okoli Arinze.