Protest in FUTA over death of final year student

On Friday, students from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), took to the streets to express their grief and frustration following the untimely passing of Ayomide Akeredolu, a final-year student at the institution. The sorrowful students blocked the busy Akure-Ilesa highway, causing significant disruption to the flow of traffic and resulting in prolonged congestion that persisted for hours.

Akeredolu, a well-liked individual among his peers, tragically collapsed in his accommodation at Akindeko Hall just days before his scheduled final exams. Urgently taken to the University Health Centre, he was pronounced deceased by medical personnel. The unexpected news of Akeredolu’s passing reverberated across the university campus, prompting students to come together in protest against the loss.

“We rushed the guy to the health centre around 8:30 pm. However, when we arrived, there was a power outage. Despite the efforts of the medical staff, who administered CPR, oxygen, and injections, the electricity was not restored throughout the treatment process.”

Reacting to the development, the university’s Director of Corporate Communication, Adegbenro Adebanjo, said in a statement: “Due to some perceived misgivings about services at the University Health Centre, students embarked on a protest on Friday, August 25, 2023. It is important to point out that the protest was not directly related to the death of the student.

“The representatives of the students, at a meeting with Management, called at the behest of the Vice Chancellor, pointed out some lacunae in the process of accessing services at the health centre. The corrective measures will be reviewed from time to time to ensure that they are being implemented to the letter and to the satisfaction of the students.”