FUTA student, 2 others killed in Ondo auto accidents

It was gathered that Daniel of the Software Engineering Department was involved in an auto accident at about 10 pm, Monday, along Oyemekun Road in Akure, the state capital.

Three other students sustained serious injuries in the crash and are receiving medical attention at the university’s health centre.

It was also gathered that a similar accident involving a petrol tanker and some motorcycles same Monday night around Sabo Lipakala area in Ondo town, Ondo West council claimed two lives while four others were injured.

Meanwhile, students of FUTA, yesterday, barricaded Akure–Ilesa expressway for hours causing gridlock as they protested the death of their colleague in the auto accident.

Workers and visitors to the institution were prevented from exiting and gaining access to the campus through the two gates leading to the institution.

The late student was involved in an automobile accident outside the university campus but when reportedly rushed to the health centre, he was not attended to on time.

Speaking on the incident, National President of Ondo State Students Association, Ayoade Kikiowo, who is also a student of the institution, said the victim died due to negligence on the part of the institution.

Also, some of the students alleged that the death of the student could have been avoided if the security guards at the gate had allowed the victim access on time and promptly attended to at the institution’s health centre.

Reacting, the institution’s Registrar, Richard Arifalo, in a statement, said: “The management of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, expresses deep sadness at the demise of one of its students, Adeyinka Daniel, 200-Level of Software Engineering Department, in the early hours of August 3, 2021, following an automobile incident along Oyemekun Road Akure.

“We commiserate and identify with family, friends and fellow students of the deceased on this very painful loss of a promising student. The university is particularly saddened by the circumstances leading to his death.

“From available information, the deceased student with others were involved in an accident outside the campus around 10 pm on August 2, 2021.

“They were first taken to a private hospital where doctors battled to save their lives. Three of the students were stabilised but Daniel’s condition remained critical. When the condition of the student deteriorated, the doctor at the private hospital referred him to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo for expert intervention.

“At that time the parents of the student and some relations had joined him at the private hospital and it was decided, because of the time factor, to bring him to the University Health Centre.

“The deceased student was brought to the university health centre at 3.20 am and the doctor on duty promptly attended to the student in the parents’ car.

“According to him, all resuscitative efforts proved abortive; there was no cardiac activity and response to any stimuli. And by 3.40 am he declared that he was brought in clinically dead.

“The doctor offered to take the boy to the morgue with the university ambulance but the parents declined, electing to take him home ostensibly for burial.

“The medical report from the private hospital, which was brought along with him indicates that the student was clinically non-responsive by 1.30 am well before they got to the university health centre at 3.20 am. The death is regrettable.”

However, it was gathered that the driver of the petrol tanker that crushed the two other persons to death and injured four others lost control and rammed into motorcyclists resulting in multiple accident.

The corpses of the deceased have reportedly been deposited at the University of Medical Sciences mortuary in the town.

It was learnt that the four persons, who sustained injuries, are also receiving treatment at the intensive care of the same hospital.