Suspect arrested as speeding driver kills OAU final year student

The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Thursday announced the death of a final year student of the Department of Foreign Languages, Esu Rita Ema, reportedly killed by a driver, identified as Lasisi Sodiq, near the campus of the institution.

In a release by the Public Relations Officer of the university, Abiodun Olanrewaju, the university said the deceased student with the matriculation number FRM/2019/041 “was knocked down and killed by a Lexus car with Abuja Registration Number ABJ 427 LQ driven by one LASISI Sodiq Segun.”

Olanrewaju further explained that the student, who was said to be going to the campus to submit her final year project to her supervisor, was crossing the Ife-Ibadan road near the campus gate when the accident happened

“The members of the Federal Road Safety Corps came to recover the corpse of the student and deposited the same at the mortuary of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital complex at about 12:35 pm while the officers of the Nigerian Police arrested the driver for investigation and further necessary action,” the statement partly read.

Meanwhile, the OAU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simeon Bamire, has sent a condolence message to the deceased’s parents through the Dean, Student Affairs, Prof. Adeolu Odedire.

“It is very sad to lose a domestic animal, how can anyone quantify the loss of a child, most especially a grown-up child who was a young, promising adult with a lot potential. A final year student for that matter,” the statement quoted Bamire as saying.

He appealed to the parents, siblings, family, friends and classmates of the deceased to take solace in God, adding that “the Lord will give us all the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”