A student from the Federal University of Technology, Minna in Niger State, Oluwaseyi Adebayo, has tragically lost his life after falling into a fishpond while hiking with his classmates.
The incident occurred on August 10 when Adebayo, a 400-level student in the Department of Animal Production, went on a bike hike with several colleagues.
According to The PUNCH, Adebayo slipped from a hilltop and fell into a fishpond, where he drowned.
Local sources revealed that the community near the accident site refused to release Adebayo’s body to university officials until certain rituals were performed. These rituals, according to the locals, were necessary to prevent similar incidents from happening to the other students who were with Adebayo.
The university initially declined to comply with these demands, but eventually, concerned individuals stepped in to pay the required amount and provide a white ram for the ritual.
The spokesperson for FUT Minna, Lydia Legbo stated that the university was not aware of the incident when contacted for comment. “The university is not aware of any such incident and cannot comment on it,” Legbo remarked.
However, the university’s Student Union Government confirmed Adebayo’s death in a statement titled “Condolence Message.”
The statement read: “We regret to announce the passing of Oluwaseyi David, a 400-level student from the Department of Animal Production who died earlier today during a hiking event with his level mates near the Talba Dam in GK Off-campus.”
The message, signed by the SUG Public Relations Officer, Moshood Olamide, also expressed condolences to Adebayo’s family: “Our prayers and thoughts are with the bereaved. We pray God grants them the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss, and may the gentle soul of Oluwaseyi David rest in perfect peace.”
The SUG statement also conveyed a warning from the university management urging students to avoid outdoor activities near waterways and refrain from swimming in bodies of water with uncertain depths.
Wasiu Abiodun, the spokesman for the Niger State Police Command, mentioned that the incident had not been reported to the police. “We are not aware of the incident; it was not reported to the police,” Abiodun said when contacted.
