Lasun Alagbe
Too bad. The morgue has gained the tender and promising body of another Nigerian undergraduate.
And, sadly, the earth is waiting to claim it.
This is the body of Babalola Marvelous Olanrewaju, a student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, who was reportedly shot during a sign-out ceremony in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
Based on the development that the school management has confirmed, Olanrewaju’s parents and their loved ones, who are supposed to be rejoicing now that he has completed his programme, have been thrown into mourning.
Unfortunately again, the incident happened at a time some varsity students have died in similar circumstances.
Just on Wednesday August 13, 2025, a head-on collision between a truck and a commercial tricycle on the Yenagoa/Amassoma Road, Bayelsa State, claimed the lives of two students from Niger Delta University, Amassoma.
Also, kidnappers had targeted some undergraduates, while a Dentistry student at neighbouring Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Ajibola Ibitayo, has just died by suicide due to his poor academic performance.
Olanrewaju was said to have been shot dead the sign-out ceremony at the Ultramodern Wazo market in Ogbomoso.
LAUTEC Registrar , Olayinka, O. Balogun, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
“The university is deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred on Wednesday, 6th August, 2025, at the Ultramodern Wazo Market in Ogbomoso, resulting in the unfortunate death of one of our students during a sign out ceremony,” the statement read.
“It is worth 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.
“Hotels in and around Ogbomoso were also informed and written not to provide 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.
“Upon receiving a distress call, the Acting Dean of Student Affairs promptly investigated the situation and contacted the relevant formations of the Oyo State Police Command in Ogbomoso, including the Monitoring Unit and the Area Command.
“Police personnel were deployed to the scene, and a search of the bag found on the body yielded information that the University checked from its back end and confirmed the deceased’s identity as Mr. 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.”
