Irate students of the University of Ibadan trooped out en masse today to protest the death of a 200 level student of the Department of Kinetics and Health Education, Faculty of Education, blocking the Mokola-Oojo Road in the Oyo State capital, thus causing traffic gridlock along the route and the environs.

News Express this morning broke the news of the death of Mayowa Alaran, a First Class student with CGPA 6.3. Alaran collapsed last night at the Common Room of the Independent Hall while watching the UEFA Champions League first leg semi-final match between Barcelona of Spain and visiting Bayern Munich of Germany.

The protesting students blamed Alaran’s death on the failure of the university’s clinic, Jaja, to promptly and adequately attend to him. They also blame the university’s management for failing to adequately equip the clinic.

During the protest, which lasted for over seven hours, a journalist with the New Telegraph, Mr. Sola Adeyemo, was beaten up and had his clothes torn by the mob. Many phones were collected and smashed, in order to prevent the protest from being recorded or covered in any form.

Efforts of the institution’s spokesperson, Mr. Olatunji Oladejo, to pacify the protesters proved were rebuffed.

UI Vice Chancellor, Professor Isaac Adewole, later addressed the protesting students at the Jaja Clinic, advising them to be calm. “I urge you to be calm in your protest because I have spoken with the leadership of your union, and we are putting in measures to address the issue in no time,” Prof. Adewole said.

•Photo by Mayowa Okekale shows UI Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olatunji Oladejo, while addressing the protesting students at the main entrance.

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