A student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun state, accidentally fell into a septic tank in her hostel and died before help could come.
The incident occurred on Wednesday when Heritage Ajibola, a 100-level student of the Department of Linguistics and African Studies, was packing her clothes that she had washed earlier when she suddenly slipped and fell into the septic tank.
According to students of the school, students in the hostel are compelled to pay as much as N200, 000 for a bed space.
The University’s Students’ Union president, Ogunperi Taofeek Olalekan, confirmed the tragic event in a statement in which he said the incident was highly avoidable.
”Heritage Ajibola, the Linguistics and African Languages student who accidentally fell into the soakaway this afternoon at Bver Hostel, Maintenance Hostels, is confirmed dead!
This incident is highly unfortunate. The Union mourns her. May her soul rest in peace. May God give her family, friends and course mates the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.
“It must be noted that Heritage’s death was avoidable if the soakaway system was properly constructed and covered. It is saddening that this has happened despite the huge amounts of money paid by students for rent. The Management of the Hostel must answer for the death of Heritage. The Union is immediately demanding justice for Heritage, with a view to forestalling a possible reoccurrence of this,” the union stated.
The school’s Vice-Chancellor was said to have visited the scene of the incident this evening and promised to ensure that necessary actions were taken.
Meanwhile, the school authority has not released any official statement on the incident.
In the meantime, irate students of the school have besieged the social media to mourn the unfortunate incident and condemned the negligence of the school’s authorities. They called for stiff sanctions against the any of the school’s management found culpable of negligence.