Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Ajayi Crowther University (ACU), Prof. Timothy Adebayo, says adequate measures have been taken to forestall a re-occurrence of the recent killing of a student of the institution.
Adebayo, who stated this while addressing a news conference on Monday in Oyo, said that the university had declared a three-day mourning over the death of the student.
A 200-level Mechanical Engineering student of the institution had, on Friday evening, been beaten to death by some of his colleagues.
The beating was said to have been occasioned by alleged stealing of a phone belonging to one of them.
The vice-chancellor, who described the incident as ‘ugly’, said that lessons had been learned, promising that nothing of such would never be allowed to happen again in the university.
Adebayo said he wept bitterly on learning about the incident, adding that the university had zero tolerance for cultism and bullying.
“The university has declared a three-day mourning to be observed by all students as well as fasting and prayers for management, staff, board of trustees and representative of the church overseeing the school from Wednesday to Sunday,” he said.
The vice-chancellor said that a total of 20 students were arrested and handed over to the police.
He, however, added that after preliminary investigations, only 12 were detained and taken to the police headquarters in Ibadan, along with the porter who was supposed to be on duty that day.
“The deceased student, Akpo Alex, a 200 level Mechanical Engineering student and about 22 years old, was alleged to have stolen a phone and transferred some amount from it to sport betting.
“But the school has learnt from this incident and has beefed up security and monitoring, while encouraging students to report whatever is happening around them to the vice-chancellor and other management staff,” he said.
According to him, every student on campus has his contact, adding that it was unfortunate that none of them bothered to call to inform him when the act was going on.
He said when alerted about the incident, the deceased was rushed to the school’s health centre before being transferred to another hospital where he was declared dead.
Adebayo said that representatives of the institution’s management had gone to visit the parents of the deceased, adding, however, that they didn’t take it in good faith because it was a tragic incident, which was understandable.
“We are using this medium to enjoin parents and guardians that their wards are safe and that measures are being put in place to ensure no such incident reoccur.
“Contrary to rumours making the rounds, it was not a case of cultism because the school has zero tolerance for it,” Adebayo said.
