OAU student reportedly slumps, dies while playing football

Omotola Akorede Kayode, a 300 level Microbiology student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife reportedly slumped and died during a football match.

According to Punch, Omotola died at the institution’s health centre after he slumped during a football match between fresh and old students of the department,

However, the management of the institution on Saturday, May 18, 2019, disagreed over the circumstances surrounding his death.

Some students who spoke to Punch about Omotola’s death said he would have survived for the poor services at the institution’s health centre.

But the university management in a press release said the student was rushed to the institution’s health centre where he was confirmed dead on arrival.

The statement reads: “One of our students, a part 3 student in the Department of Microbiology, OMOTOLA, Akorede Kayode, died suddenly on Friday, 17th of May, 2019.”

“He was subsequently rushed to the University Health Centre where he was confirmed dead on arrival. All measures to resuscitate him proved abortive.

“The management hereby commiserates with the parents, family, classmates, colleagues and the entire University Community over this irreparable loss.”

However, a classmate of the deceased simply identified as Victor, who spoke to Punch about the incident said it is incorrect to say Omotola died before getting to the health centre.

“The match started around 9:15am. There was no physical contact between him and another player. He just slumped. He was quickly rushed to the OAU health centre. He gave up the ‘ghost’ about four minutes after he was rushed there.

“The insinuation that Omotola died before getting to the health centre was incorrect. He was even given something like a drip. He wasn’t attended to properly, he needed oxygen at that particular moment, but I think that was not available.”

A similar incident happened in 2017 at the Federal University of Technology Minna.

A 300 level student, Emmanuel Olalekan slumped while playing football on the school pitch. He was rushed to the school clinic where he was pronounced dead.