The management of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, has assured the entire students of the institution that all issues surrounding the attack on one of its former students and a staff member would be adequately addressed.
Mr Ademola Adekoya , the Coordinator of the Centre for Information Press and Public Relations,LASU, gave the assurance in a statement on Friday in Lagos.
Adekoya said that the management commended the students’ union and the entire students for their maturity and restraint since the attack by suspected armed robbers on the former student and a staff member of LASU occurred.
“The management received with great shock, the report of an attack on a former student of the university, Mr. Nurudeen Alowonle, and a staff member, Mr. Waheed Majekodunmi, a Senior Assistant Registrar, which led to the untimely death of Alowonle.
“The incident took place in the evening of Wednesday , August 18, outside the university campus, along the Egbeda-Igando Road.
“The university management is deeply saddened by the incident and expresses its heartfelt condolences to the immediate and extended families of the deceased, his colleagues,friends and the students’ union,” he said.
Nurudeen graduated from the Department of Educational Management, Faculty of Education and came to campus on the fateful day to appear before the school’s disciplinary panel.
Adekoya added that since the sad incident occurred, the social media had been circulating several accounts, many of which were inaccurate and misleading, of circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident.
“We have refrained from making a hurried statement until now in order to ascertain the facts considering the very sensitive nature of the incident,” he said in the statement.
Adekoya said that the university was putting the true position about the incident before the public based on the outcome of its investigations as follows;
“That the deceased former student, Alowonle ,was yet to receive his certificate due to an ongoing disciplinary case that he was facing in the university and a panel presiding over his case began sitting in 2019.
“The case continued until 2020 but the panel could not sit due to the COVID-19 pandemic then. He was, however, invited by the panel, along other students who had ongoing disciplinary cases to defend themselves.
“Alowonle appeared before the panel that day and was even the first student attended to by the panel, and his case was concluded before 2 p.m.
“He ostensibly remained on the university campus until late in the evening during which time he met up with Mr. Waheed Majekodunmi,” the statement said.
Adekoya said that the duo stayed at the university senior staff club until past 8 p.m., after which they left together through the Iba Gate of the university for their destinations.
“Unable to get vehicles at the school junction as it was late in the day, the duo were said to have trekked several meters away from the gate ostensibly in search of a vehicle.
“Unfortunately, they were attacked by suspected men of the underworld who dispossessed them of their valuables and shot them.
“The staff member, Majekodunmi, was lucky to have escaped with gunshot wounds and eventually got helped by passers-by to a nearby hospital, but the former student did not survive the attack.
“The body of the deceased was said to have been deposited in a mortuary in Lagos, while the injured staff member is currently receiving treatment at the University Health Centre and responding well to treatment,” he said.
Adekoya said that the university security department was working with the security agencies to investigate the sad incident with the aim of bringing the perpetrators to book.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State University Students’ Union (LASUSU) has called on the state government to urgently provide maximum security for students to end the scourge of insecurity and prevent any mishap within and outside the institution.
The President of LASUSU, Badmus Uthman, made the plea on Friday in Lagos at a news conference on the spate of insecurity around LASU.
Uthman strongly condemned the attack on the student and called on the government to come to their aid by providing 24 hour security patrol in and around the school.
“This is a must because it will guarantee members of LASU community a safe and peaceful environment for learning, industry and services.
“The Igando-Iyana Iba axis plied by thousands of students of the institution daily in pursuit of education has in recent times become a dangerous route and calls for urgent attention and action.
“In recent times, we have received disturbing reports of armed robbery and other attacks on unsuspecting students,” he said.
Uthman said one of such cases was that of Alowonle, a student, who was shot by unknown gunmen suspected to be armed robbers on his way home.
“According to one Majek, a staff of LASU who was with the deceased on their way home, they were attacked by some robbers.
“Alowonle received fatal shots which claimed his life while Majek survived with serious injuries and he is responding to treatment,” he said.
Uthman appealed to all LASU students to remain calm and peaceful as they mourn the death of their colleague.
“We must rally round to ensure that nothing compromises the work we have done all these years in building a better university of pride.
“We should explore constructive measures to put an end to the menace of criminality threatening our collective peace and progress,” he said.
