Killed at Yuletide

The killing of a 200-Level student at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Abiodun Babalola, by robbers has again brought to the fore issues of bed space shortage on campus, insecurity of off-campus hostels and irresponsive nature of healthcare personnel, FAROMBI OLUWASEUN reports.

The Yuletide usually brings hopes, joy and festivities.  But not so at the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, where a student died three days to Christmas after a robbery attack.

Abiodun Babalola died of machete wounds sustained during the attack in the wee hours of December 22 at Adam and Eve, an off-campus hostel on Ibadan Road, on the outskirts of the university town.

Termur, as the 200-Level student of the Department of Management and Accounting was fondly called, was not a resident of Adam and Eve. He slept there in order to participate in a group discussion in preparation for a Sociology Test scheduled for that fateful day.

The incident has raised concerns about insecurity at off-campus hostels and acute shortage of on-campus hostel accommodation, which is safer.  Students are expressing concern about the poor attitude of health workers  during emergencies.

According to a source, who pleaded anonymity, Babalola was attacked by the robbers following an altercation with them.

He was hit on the head with a cutlass.

Some eyewitnesses claimed that he could have survived if he had been attended to early.

They alleged that when contacted the police said there was no vehicle or patrol van to take him to the hospital.

“Both the Nigeria Police and the OAU security officials complained of faulty patrol van,” a source said.

The victim, he said, was first taken on a bike before the University’s chief security officer released his car for use.

Abiodun was first taken to the university health centre where he was rejected before he was transferred to the  Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) around 3am.

The students claimed that the OAUTH did not treat the case as an emergency. The hospital, they claimed, asked for money for blood and other items, the victim was unattended to for more than five hours.

It was gathered that the victim was attended to after 8am and he died around 9am.

Some students said that it was not the first case of students not being attended to on emergencies at the teaching hospital.

Refuting the claim, spokesperson of the hospital, Kemi Fasoto, said the deceased received prompt medical attention from the hospital personnel.

Fasoto, who said it was wrong for the hospital to divulge information about the health condition of any patient, said the management of the OAU brought the deceased to the hospital for treatment.

Ile-Ife Area Police Commander, Mr Funso Adegboye, said the victim was “injured, rushed to the hospital, but eventually gave up the ghost”.

In statement, the executive council of Nigeria Universities Accounting Students Association, OAU,  described the accident as a “bad occurrence.”

Some OAU students have blamed the university authority for not mounting pressure on the Nigeria Police to provide adequate security to students staying off campus.   They also said many more students are off-campus this year because there are not enough hostels.

This year alone, some students said the number of robbery attacks on off-campus hostels, targeting students had increased.

“This year, the rate at which robbers have attacked students in hostels off campus, has increased.  The only place the university can guarantee security is for students who stay on campus,” a student said.

Forty-eight hours after the incident, it was  gathered that there was a foiled robbery at an other off-campus hostel in Oduduwa Estate.

“There was a robbery.  But it was not successful because the security agents exchanged fire with the robbers so they ran away,” he said.

Majority of OAU students are staying in  off-campus hostels this year because of the school’s new accommodation policy aimed at ensuring that  the on-campus halls of residents are not overpopulated.

CAMPUSLIFE learnt that the university is insisting that only students legally allocated bed spaces could stay in the hostels.  Consequently, there was no room for squating –a  practice that used to swell hostel population by more than twice the number.

With a total bed-space of 7,500, there is a shortfall of over 27,500 for 35,000 students’ population, another student said.

“This session, majority of OAU students are off campus.  Normally, a room should take three students.  But with squatters, the number doubles.  This year, management was strict about not allowing students without bed spaces to stay in the hostel.  As a result, close to 70 per cent of OAU studnets are off-campus.

“The school management told us that there are only 7,500 bed spaces; but we have over 35,000 students.  If the new policy had not been stringent, there would have been up to 20,000 or 25,000 students on campus.  But because of the new policy, many students had to stay off-campus.  And some of the students are better off than the residents of Ife; they would have more valuables that would have attracted robbers,” the student said.

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Reacting, the OAU Public Relations Officer, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, said the university was forced to introduce the accommodation policy because students had complained about overcrowding in hostels online.

He said: “We have a particular number of students that normally occupy each of the rooms.  We know that they have squatters that stay with them but we turned a blind eye to allow them stay together.

“But you will recall that it was this same set of students who took the snapshot of the hostels and put it on the Internet, saying that they were 20 in a room.

“The university said we did not put 20 in a room and decided to strictly implement the carrying capacity of eight in a room.  The VC said eight were even too many in a room but he finally agreed to allow it.

“Normally, we are supposed to cater for 100-Level students because they are new and don’t have anywhere to go; and the final year students because of their projects.  Others are supposed to find their way.

“It is not a crime that we have hostel accommodation for our students.  There are some universities that do not accommodate their students within the campus.  And students live off-campus around the university.  And they do not lay the blame of whatever happens on the management.”

Olarewaju said the university was making efforts to increase the number of hostels on campus, adding that there were four currently under construction in partnership with the private sector.

“We are not leaving any stone unturned in relation to hostels.  Since the funding from the Federal Government is inadequate, we have been calling for assistance from individuals and organisations to help us build hostels.  People have been responding to the VC’s call and we are positive that very soon, the issue would be addressed. There are four hostels under construction in partnership with the private sector,” he said.

Olarewaju said Abiodun’s death was sad, especially as it happened in the festive season.

He said: “The university Vice Chancellor, his management team and the university council are all sad to lose a student of the institution, especially towards this festive period of the year.”

The PRO said it was not a time to apportion blame, adding: “Man proposes, God disposes.”

The Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede, said people should place the fear of God far and above worldly materials, wondering what sort of earthly possession would have made a man to attack, maim and kill his fellow man.

The VC prayed God to would grant Abiodun eternal rest and his family the fortitude to bear the loss.