Final Year FUTA Student Slumps, Dies After Playing Football

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

A 500 level Applied Geophysics student, Federal University of Technology Akure, (FUTA) Tunji Agboola has reportedly lost his life when he slumped, after playing football in his lodge.

Late Tunji Agboola

The incident happened on Saturday morning at his off campus residence close to FUTA South gate.

The institution’s health center had been shut for months due to the strike by the Non-Academic Staff Unions so Tunji had to be rushed to a private hospital close to the South gate.

However, the doctor at the private hospital could do little due to lack of basic oxygen apparatus to resuscitate him.

This made the rescue team rush him to the State Specialist Hospital, Akure where he was confirmed dead.

It was not immediately clear if the late Tunji had any health challenge.

His death almost precipitated a protest by his colleagues especially by the Nigerian Association of Earth and Mineral Science Students (NAEMSS) who felt he would not have died if he had got help on time.

NAEMSS, President,  Comr. Victor Awosiji, the SUG VP,  Yewande Akinjewe, Ondo NANS Gen. Sec., Tolulope Duyilemi and other union leaders had to intervene by visiting the Akure Area Command and the hospital with a call on government to shut it down for not having ‘minimal requirements’ to operate.

The SUG president, Adeyinka Olasehinde described the incident as very saddening saying the Union would be meeting the management to express their mind that its not advisable to have students in a school environment without a functioning health center.

He said the remains of the late Tunji have been handed over to his Elder brother who came around, for onward movement to Ado Ekiti, their parents’s residence.