A final-year student at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho, has confirmed the death of one of its students named Marvelous Olanrewaju.
The student, a 300-level Mechanical Engineering major, was allegedly shot during a sign-out ceremony at the Ultramodern Wazo market in Ogbomoso, where the ceremony was being held.
The university’s Registrar, Olayinka Balogun, stated that LAUTECH had previously banned these ceremonies on campus and had informed local establishments not to host them.
“It is worthy of note that the university had issued a ban on sign out activities and consequently prohibited such within the precincts of its campus since 2023,” the statement read.
“Hotels in and around Ogbomoso were also informed and written not to avail LAUTECH students the use of their facilities for ceremonies of that nature.
“Despite the ban however, preliminary investigations after the occurrence revealed that a group of students who engaged in rule-bending behaviour, chose to hold a sign-out ceremony on the football pitch within the Wazo Ultramodern market.
“It was gathered that the ceremony turned tragic when a male student was shot, allegedly at the venue, and later succumbed to his injuries. Information was also received that he left the venue on his motorbike and struggled to move it till he fell off where he was later found unresponsive.
The university’s Acting Dean of Student Affairs was notified and contacted the police, who found the victim’s body and identified him
“Police personnel were deployed to the scene, and a search of the bag found on the body yielded information which the university checked from its back end and confirmed the deceased’s identity as Babalola, Marvelous Olanrewaju, a 300 Level student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
“The body was subsequently moved to the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Morgue.
“The Management extends its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased. May God grant him eternal rest, and may his family find solace during this difficult time.”
LAUTECH officials are fully cooperating with the police investigation and have expressed their condolences to the student’s family and friends.
